USC Trojans 'all in' on coveted 2026 QB Julian Lewis

Carrollton (Ga.) quarterback Julian Lewis may be in the class of 2026, but he’s already making quite the name for himself on the recruiting trail. The 6-foot-0.5, 185-pounder has 36 Division I offers on the table.

As a freshman, Lewis led Carrollton to a 14-1 season and a trip to the Georgia 7A state title game. He threw for a whopping 4,118 passing yards and 48 touchdowns and completed 65.5% of his passes. Now, before lighting scoreboards up as a sophomore, Lewis has already trimmed down his list.

Alabama, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State, Oregon, Texas A&M and USC made the cut for the signal-caller that’s likely to be ranked as the No. 1 QB and perhaps even No. 1 prospect in the 2026 cycle.

On Thursday, 247Sports’ national recruiting analyst Steve Wiltfong talked the latest on Lewis’ recruitment on the ‘Wiltfong Whiparound.’ There does appear to be an early frontrunner out West for the QB.

USC Trojans are “all in” on Julian Lewis

USC and Lincoln Riley have made it known to Lewis that he is a priority for the Trojans moving forward. He’s made three trips to California and is already finding some familiarity. With no quarterback in sight for USC in the 2025 cycle, it could time to push the chips towards the middle of the table.

“Development is the No. 1 thing he’s looking for when he makes his college decision. The first program I look at right now is USC,” Wiltfong said. “Been out there three times, built a great rapport with Lincoln Riley — and the Trojans, they’re not pushing for anybody in the class of 2025 right now, either. I think that they’re all in on Julian Lewis here.”

Another major appeal for Lewis with USC is Riley’s undeniable track record with quarterbacks. From Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray at Oklahoma, now to Caleb Williams at USC, there’s a clear connection that’s easy to make, which may help the Trojans have a permanent leg up on their opponents throughout the humongous recruitment.

“Julian Lewis sees that track record of development at USC and has loved his time out there on campus,” Wiltfong said.

“Caleb won the Heisman and it doesn’t get much better than that,” Lewis said. “I think coach (Lincoln) Riley definitely gets you ready for the next level in terms of seeing the game differently. That’s my biggest thing, learning the game… That film room, that’s unbeatable. That’s the best part of that whole quarterback situation there.”

On3’s Chad Simmons has previously reported that Lewis will have the academic credits to reclassify to the 2025 cycle, though he’s in no rush to make a decision. Regardless, he also sees the Trojans as the early favorite.

“If I had to give an edge to one school early, it would be USC,” Simmons wrote. “Lewis was out in Los Angeles again this summer and Lincoln Riley has the Trojans in a good spot early. Riley’s development of quarterbacks and his offense appeals to Lewis. The location and opportunities around USC also make the soon-to-be Big Ten program attractive.”