Julian Lewis, Julian Sayin, DJ Lagway named finalists for Gatorade National Player of the Year

Three high school quarterbacks have been announced as finalists for Gatorade National Player of the Year in sophomore USC commit Julian Lewis, Five-Star Plus+ Alabama signee Julian Sayin and Five-Star Plus+ Florida signee DJ Lagway.

Carrollton (Ga.) quarterback Julian ‘Juju’ Lewis, the youngest of the trio, is the nation’s No. overall prospect in the 2026 On3 Industry Ranking — a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He committed to USC on August 22 ahead of a season that resulted in 3,094 passing yards and 48 touchdowns. Lewis threw just two interceptions in 13 games and once accounted for seven touchdowns in one night.

“At the end of the day, it is about what Coach Riley does with quarterbacks,” Lewis told On3 about his commitment in August. “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.”

Carlsbad (Calif.) quarterback Julian Sayin is the No. 5 overall prospect and top quarterback in the 2024 recruiting cycle and signed with Alabama in December after committing over a year ago. He completed a whopping 74.5% of his passes for 2,347 yards. He accounted for 24 passing touchdowns and four more scores on the ground, throwing just one interception all season.

“You think of the consistency, the standard,” Sayin told On3 about his commitment to Alabama. “The track record with quarterbacks, with winning games, draft picks, it’s the standard of college football.”

Willis (Texas) quarterback DJ Lagway is right there with Sayin, ranked as the No. 2 signal-caller in the 2024 recruiting cycle. He completed 73.5% of his passes for an astounding 4,605 yards. Lagway scored an incredible 75 touchdowns in 2023 — 59 through the air and another 16 on the ground. He signed with Florida in December just over a year after committing to the Gators.

“I definitely want to get that starting position, but if I don’t I just want to learn from Graham and just grow. That’s the biggest thing. I want to be the best college quarterback I can be,” Lagway told GatorsOnline last month. “I’m going to go out there and compete. I ain’t just gonna give it to nobody. But I respect Graham. He’s a great quarterback.”