Five-star quarterback Julian Lewis released his March visit schedule on Thursday and the USC commit will once again go around the country seeing programs before he focuses on his senior season.
Here is a breakdown of the visits and where we think his recruitment could be headed:
ALABAMA – March 8
In an interesting way, the Alabama offense under the new coaching staff could be even more interesting to Lewis than the one under former coach Nick Saban’s staff since Washington threw the ball 249 more times than the Crimson Tide last season.
If major principles of the Huskies’ offense carry over to Alabama, the Crimson Tide will feature more spread formations and the quarterback will have the keys to the offense to throw it around and be a playmaker. That is right up Lewis’ alley and exactly how he runs the offense at Carrollton, Ga.
There are some issues to overcome here mainly that the five-star quarterback doesn’t really know the new Alabama coaching staff like others that are main contenders in his recruitment. It’s likely that coach Kalen DeBoer and his staff pitch the idea and concept that Lewis could be the next Bryce Young in Tuscaloosa so there is intrigue there especially with five-star receiver Ryan Williams signing with the Tide.
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GEORGIA – March 14
The situation in Athens is an interesting one. Five-star Dylan Raiola flipped from Georgia to Nebraska late last recruiting cycle so the Bulldogs only brought in four-star Ryan Puglisi in the 2024 recruiting class. And after Carson Beck exhausts his eligibility next season, it should be a wide-open competition.
That’s where Lewis could come in and immediately be the guy for arguably the best program in the country which is only a couple hours down the road. Coach Kirby Smart and the entire staff have made Lewis a top priority, the five-star quarterback has taken numerous visits to Athens and it’s always tough to say no to Georgia.
What makes this even more interesting is that Georgia is not really making a serious play on any other top 2025 quarterbacks and might be keeping four-star Ryan Montgomery on the back burner until it’s clear whether Lewis will flip or not. There is also some chatter about a big NIL deal cooking for the five-star quarterback and in today’s recruiting world that cannot be ignored.
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AUBURN – March 16
Payton Thorne, Auburn’s starting quarterback last season, threw 16 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Ten SEC quarterbacks had more passing yards than Thorne and only one had more picks. The Tigers are in serious need of a playmaker at the position and there are some talented players behind Thorne but they’re really unproven and might not be ready to step in on day one.
Lewis potentially would be able to. The five-star quarterback has to also be impressed by two things: Auburn signed arguably the best receiver class in 2024 led by five-star Cam Coleman and high four-star Perry Thompson and coach Hugh Freeze has been telling people he will have more of a hand in the offense this season.
It’s still a long shot that Lewis flips to Auburn but he will be back on The Plains soon.
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COLORADO – March 22
Could coach Deion Sanders pull off another stunner and land the five-star quarterback who could fight for the No. 1 spot in the 2025 class? There are some reasons to think it’s possible but many to think it’s unlikely.
First, after Shedeur Sanders leaves the quarterback job is wide open and Lewis could be the one to step in and take over the offense. There is always talent flowing into Boulder especially through the transfer portal so Lewis would have some skill players around him and the Buffaloes did throw it 474 times last season. Playing for offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, who has significant NFL experience, could be a draw.
Now for the concerns: Colorado had to throw it so often last season because its offensive line was so bad and while it might have been remedied through the portal there could still be issues. Sanders was mauled last season and got injured because he took so many shots. The Buffaloes lost eight of their last nine games and they scored more than 19 points only once in the final month or so of the season.
There is big marketability and attention by playing for Sanders but year one was a feel-good story in Boulder and if things don’t change quickly there in year two, it would be a surprise if Lewis takes that leap.
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USC – March 30
It’s interesting that Lewis will take his final March visit to USC, where he committed in August, because it will give the five-star quarterback an opportunity to reset, sit down again with coach Lincoln Riley and others and then soak in all the reasons why he picked the Trojans in the first place to compare that with all his other trips that month.
It will be a big visit but there are numerous reasons why Lewis could stick. Riley pumps out Heisman Trophy quarterbacks and No. 1 overall NFL Draft picks. Caleb Williams should be the latest as Riley has been lucky to have such elite quarterback talent but he certainly doesn’t waste it.
The offense certainly has not been the problem at USC and now Riley has taken steps this offseason to rectify all the defensive issues. Tying those two things together, USC now has a chance to make a run at the College Football Playoff. From an offensive perspective, there might not be a better situation that fits Lewis’ playing style and having an offensive-minded coach is a massive draw.
But one question remains: Will USC’s move to the Big Ten hurt quarterback recruiting there since the USC quarterback won’t be throwing it in sunny Southern California and balmy Arizona late in the season but in the frigid, windy Midwest. It might sound like a ridiculous consideration to some but not for elite quarterbacks in some situations.
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Adam Gorney, National Recruiting Director
