USC commit Julian Lewis named finalist for Gatorade National Player of the Year
Three high school quarterbacks have been announced as finalists for Gatorade National Player of the Year and 2026 five-star USC commit Julian Lewis is among the group. The other two finalists are Five-Star Plus+ Alabama signee Julian Sayin and Five-Star Plus+ Florida signee DJ Lagway.
In his sophomore season, Lewis finished the season with 3,094 passing yards and 48 touchdowns. He only threw two interceptions in his 13 games.
The Carrollton offense averaged 39.0 points per game.
Lewis has had games of one touchdown (x1), two touchdowns (x1), three touchdowns (x5), four touchdowns (x3), five touchdowns (x1), six touchdowns (x1), and seven touchdowns (x1).
Lewis ranks as the No. 1 player in the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is also tabbed in as the No. 1 quarterback and the No. 1 player in the state of Georgia in the 2026 class.
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 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.
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.
Julian Lewis’ rising NIL marketability
Viewed as a generational quarterback talent, Lewis made the decision to wait out the GHSA instead of moving to a state where NIL is permitted at the high school level. Sources told On3 that part of the reason the state association even moved to make a decision on NIL was because of Lewis.
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The heavily-touted quarterback committed to USC after making just four visits to meet with Lincoln Riley and the Trojans. Working with Riley, who’s built a reputation as a quarterback whisperer, was obviously part of the draw.
The USC brand itself is one of the most valuable in college sports, too. As the NIL market continues to develop, more endorsement deals could incorporate institutional marks. Williams showed that in a recent NIL campaign with United, posing in a USC uniform on an airport tarmac.
Lewis boasts a $477,000 On3 NIL Valuation, sitting at No. 7 in the high school football NIL rankings. The annual projection is sky-high because of the value his social media following provides to brands.
The valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets the standard market NIL value for high school and college athletes. A proprietary algorithm, the On3 NIL Valuation calculates an athlete’s NIL value using dynamic data points targeting three primary categories: performance, influence and exposure.
