When it comes to the 2025 recruiting class, there is no name more prominent than quarterback Julian “Ju Ju” Lewis from Georgia, who became a phenom before he even entered high school.
Lewis, a five-star quarterback that stands at 6’1, 185 pounds, has been committed to the USC Trojans for nearly a year, having verbally pledged to head coach Lincoln Riley’s program on August 22, 2023.
Still, that hasn’t stopped the bevy of interested suitors from coming after Lewis hard, as the Carrollton, Georgia quarterback took four official visits this season.
With rankings varying across different recruiting sites, let’s break down Lewis as a player and where does his recruitment currently stand, despite being committed to USC for the past calendar year?
Julian Lewis’ profile
Having initially made waves on the national scene as a middle schooler, Lewis has been a household name for years, playing in the Under Armour All-American Game in eighth grade and receiving early interest from Georgia, Clemson, LSU, Alabama, and others before even entering high school.
Initially expected to be the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2026, Lewis classified into the Class of 2025, which not only improved his level of competition, but also gave USC an earlier look at their prized recruit.
Lewis’s high school coach, Joey King, also had the opportunity to coach former No. 1 pick Trevor Lawrence in high school and compared the two quarterbacks, noting Lewis’ arm talent being advanced for his age group amid the re-classification.
“I’ve had the privilege of coaching Trevor Lawrence. He’s in the same category as Trevor. The skill set and arm talent he has are definitely advanced for his age,” King said, via ESPN.
So, how has Lewis rounded out as a quarterback?
At 6’1”, 185 pounds, Lewis presents a solid base frame with room to grow as he develops into his size. With the strengths surrounding his game, the quarterback’s smaller size may be one of the bigger questions at the moment.
Accuracy has been a key component of Lewis’s game at all levels, with the quarterback priding himself on ball placement to all areas of the field, be it within structure inside the pocket or on the move.
Recently participating at the Elite 11, which is a camp for the top quarterbacks in the country, Lewis was specifically praised for that accuracy and ball placement, with On3’s Charles Power labeling him as the most accurate signal-caller during the event.
“Lewis lived up to his reputation as a highly accurate pocket passer at the Elite 11 Finals,” Power said. The USC pledge was the most accurate passer on hand over the course of the week, particularly on the final two days.”
“Lewis was on target during his pro day session and finished second to Tavien St. Clair in the accuracy challenge. He carried that over into day three, where he was able to deliver with touch and location during his 7-on-7 session. The 6-foot, 186-pounder’s high level of developmental polish allows him to play with advanced accuracy, adding to his skill set as a cerebral distributor.”
The statistics back up the tape, as Lewis threw for 3,094 yards, 48 touchdowns, and two interceptions this past season, while completing 66.4 percent of his passes.
When you combine Lewis’s sheer arm talent, be in on or off-script, with his high-end athleticism, it’s easy to see why he’s ranked as such a high college recruit.
Lewis has the full arsenal of tools to be successful at the next level, and, for now, is going to one of the best quarterback gurus in college football, learning from Lincoln Riley at USC.
Lewis’ recruitment
Now, while the five-star quarterback has long been committed to the Trojans, Lewis has seen his fair share of interest from other top-tier programs over the past year.
That has sparked over a dozen unofficial visits since his commitment, as well as four official visits, leading to some uncertainty as the quarterback’s senior season approaches.
Last fall, Lewis took unofficial visits to Georgia (twice), Alabama, Auburn, USC, and Ohio State.
In the spring, the five-star quarterback followed that up with trips to Auburn (2x), Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, and Alabama ahead of official visit season.
In June, Lewis took four trips, initially heading to Indiana, USC, and Auburn before finishing with Colorado during the weekend of June 21st.
Earlier this summer, there was serious buzz from the Tigers, who were looking to sway Lewis off his commitment to USC, but that seems to considerably have cooled as Auburn is looking to fill their board at the position ahead of the fall.
Indiana will continue to push hard for Lewis, but USC remains a firm stronghold there, despite the amount of varying teams looking to flip the five-star quarterback from his current destination.
However, don’t count out the Buffaloes either, as they have pushed hard with head coach Deion Sanders leading the charge. Colorado is looking for a quarterback of the future as starter Shedeur Sanders is expected to depart for the 2025 NFL Draft after the season.
Ultimately, this recruitment may go until National Signing Day, creating a battle for the most sought-after quarterback in the nation, which will leave at least one team in an unfortunate situation come December.
