The nation's top-rated player in the Class of 2026 announced his college decision this morning as
Julian Lewis of
Carrollton (Ga.) committed to the University of Southern California. He was named the MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year last season after throwing for 4,118 yards and 48 touchdowns.
Lewis led the Trojans to the AAAAAAA state championship game, 14-1 record and the school's first MaxPreps Top 25 national ranking. He became the first player to throw for over 500 yards in a Georgia state championship game, completing 25 of 46 passes for 531 yards and five touchdowns.
Carrollton is currently ranked No. 18 in the MaxPreps Top 25. Lewis completed 20 of 30 passes for 186 yards and a touchdown in a 39-34 loss against No. 11 Langston Hughes (Fairburn, Ga.) last week. Despite the season-opening loss, expect the Trojans to be among the short list of teams to compete for the AAAAAAA state title.
Georgia sophomore sensation Julian Lewis ended his recruitment early with a verbal commitment to USC. (Photo: Ed Turlington)
Lewis is one of the best quarterbacks in the country regardless of class and checked in at
No. 4 in our list of the top 10 signal callers heading into the 2023 season. Lewis checks all the boxes and can make every throw in the book. He plays well beyond his years and has a lot of the some of the same traits as the No. 1 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, Bryce Young.
Trevor Lawrence, Deshaun Watson, Charlie Ward, Cam Newton, Fran Tarkenton and Justin Fields are among Georgia's other top quarterback products.
Lewis joins a long list of talented quarterbacks that have committed or transferred to play for Lincoln Riley, including Caleb Williams, Kyler Murray, Jalen Hurts, Baker Mayfield, Spencer Rattler and Malachi Nelson. Mayfield and Murray went No. 1 overall in back-to-back drafts. Hurts was a second round selection. Williams is projected to be the No. 1 selection in the 2024 NFL Draft.
