USC releases 'QBU' hype video after commitment of No. 1 QB Julian 'Juju' Lewis

Lincoln Riley and USC made major waves on the recruiting trail on Tuesday morning, as elite 2026 Carrollton (Ga.) quarterback Julian “Juju” Lewis pledged to the Trojans.

Lewis, the No. 1 overall prospect in the cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, garnered offers from over 30 Division I programs, including the likes of Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State. An early commitment wasn’t originally in the cards for the 6-foot-0.5, 185-pounder, but the combination of Riley and Los Angeles did enough to make Lewis pull the trigger as a sophomore.

“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,” Lewis told On3’s Chad Simmons. “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.”

Lewis becomes the latest signal-caller to pledge to Riley. The head coach continues to build an immaculate track record with QBs, stemming from his time in Oklahoma with the likes of Heisman winners Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray, to now with current USC QB and Heisman winner Caleb Williams.

“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 said.

As a program, USC has had no shortage of prevalent QBs, including the likes of Heisman winners Matt Leinart and Carson Palmer, as well as Mark Sanchez and John David Booty. The commitment of Lewis led to the Trojans dropping a “QBU” hype video.

✌️ pic.twitter.com/v3L9DRE7Au

— USC Football ✌️ (@uscfb) August 22, 2023

“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,” Lewis said. “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 already has an On3 NIL Valuation of $475K. The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets high school and college athletes’ projected annual value (PAV). The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.