2026 No. 1 recruit Julian 'Juju' Lewis commits to USC: 'I went where I felt was best for me'

The recruitment of Julian Lewis got started very early and he ended it early as well. The No. 1 prospect in the 2026 On3 Industry Rankings has committed to Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans.

Lewis had national offers. He was wanted by schools like Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State and other powerhouse programs. But he has seen the development of quarterbacks under Riley and that led him across the country.

“At the end of the day, it is about what Coach Riley does with quarterbacks,” Lewis told On3. “Coach Riley develops quarterbacks, he really knows how to manage the room and he knows how to feature guys at that position. The track record he has with quarterbacks really made a big difference in my recruitment.”

Lewis didn’t plan on committing this early. As a current Class of 2026 recruit, he still has more than two years until he can sign a National Letter of Intent. But after all the visits he took and the conversations he had, USC was the school he wanted to go to. And he didn’t want to wait any longer.

“I thought it would be January or next spring before I made my decision, but the timing and the school just made too much sense,” he said. “There was no reason to wait any longer. I felt strong about USC, they made me feel like their guy and the timing just happened earlier than I thought it would.”

Decision was challenging with lots of great options

Lewis and his family told Riley on Monday that he planned to commit a day later. There was both excitement and relief for both parties, and while Lewis enjoyed the recruiting process, making the final decision was challenging.

“It is hard to leave what I have right in my own backyard,” he said. “Alabama and Georgia are two of the most dominant programs in college football, so it was not easy. But I went where I felt was best for me, and that was USC. The way Coach Riley recruits quarterbacks made a big difference. He is all about development and he has shown that with the guys he has coached at Oklahoma and now Caleb Williams at USC.

… As the head coach and offensive coordinator, the offense will always be centered around the quarterback under Coach Riley and I couldn’t pass up this opportunity.”

January visit helped vault the Trojans to the top

Lewis had been on campus with USC’s previous staff and also a few times since Riley took over. The Trojans were always a program that intrigued him, but his visit back in January really pushed them to the front of his recruitment. He got the offer from Riley in person on that trip, and the two spent a significant amount of time together breaking down film and connecting.

“That is when it really started,” he said. “I really didn’t think too much about USC early, but after that visit and getting the offer, I looked at them differently. It was almost unreal when I got that offer. I was blown away by the offer and my time with Coach Riley that day. We watched film, spent about two hours together and we really started our connection.”

Lewis feels like he can connect with the young coach and believes in his ability to develop his skillset. After producing the likes of Kyler Murray, Jalen Hurts and now Caleb Williams, Riley has proven himself to Lewis to be a great developer of talent and leader.

“When we watched film together, he just talked to me about how we could have fun working together and how my skill set was unique,” Lewis added. “I am excited to work with him, he is excited to work with me and he feels we can do great things at USC. I love his offensive mind, what he does with quarterbacks and the culture and energy he has brought to USC.”

Los Angeles appeals to Lewis, and he hopes to be a lead recruiter for USC

Outside of Riley and his quarterback development, Lewis loved the strength and conditioning program, the vibes in Los Angeles, the academics and the ability to be part of an historic program like USC.

He believes the Trojans have everything they need to compete for Big Ten titles and playoff appearances, and he wants to help build an elite roster as well.

“Now that I am committed to USC, I want to influence recruiting as much as I can,” he said. “I am going to recruit guys in my class, the class ahead of me and see how I can help get as many top players to USC as possible. I love the weather in LA, I love the vibe and now I get to start recruiting guys to join me.”