Elite 2026 QB Julian Lewis, a USC commit, is set to return to Alabama this weekend
Julian Lewis is the No. 1 prospect in the 2026 On3 Industry Rankings. The elite signal caller out of Carrollton (Ga.) committed to USC over the likes of Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State in August.
That hasn’t stopped him from taking visits. Lewis returned to Athens last weekend to see Georgia’s season opener against Middle Tennessee. This weekend, the 6-foot-0.5, 185-pound sophomore will be back in Tuscaloosa.
Lewis grew up following the Crimson Tide. He has visited Alabama over a dozen times. His teammates, four-star tight end Caleb Odom and 2026 offensive lineman Zykie Helton, are committed to Nick Saban.
When Lewis trimmed his list down before he committed to Lincoln Riley, he said, “Coach Saban’s offense is built around what I do well. The system really does fit me perfectly. Coach Rees and the talent they have at every position make it a great option.”
Through three games, Lewis has tossed for 606 yards and eight touchdowns. He is completing 67% of his passes on 71 attempts. He has zero interceptions on the season and an impressive 131.5 quarterback rating.
Lewis plans to visit USC for the Washington game on Nov. 4.
Lewis remains committed to USC
These visits are not a surprise. Lewis committed, but he committed early, and he did not plan to shut his recruitment down.
“At the end of the day, it is about what Coach Riley does with quarterbacks,” Lewis told On3. “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.”
Lewis didn’t plan on committing this early. As a current Class of 2026 recruit, he still has more than two years until he can sign a National Letter of Intent. But after all the visits he took and the conversations he had, USC was the school he wanted to go to. And he didn’t want to wait any longer.
“I thought it would be January or next spring before I made my decision, but the timing and the school just made too much sense,” he said. “There was no reason to wait any longer. I felt strong about USC, they made me feel like their guy and the timing just happened earlier than I thought it would.”
Lewis’ growing On3 NIL Valuation
Lewis has an On3 NIL Valuation of $497K. The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets high school and college athletes’ projected annual value (PAV). The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.
“Lewis is already primed to succeed in the new era of college sports. While the Georgia High School Athletic Association prohibits athletes from monetizing their publicity rights, the Carrollton High quarterback has done everything else to put himself in a position to eventually cash in on NIL,” wrote On3’s Pete Nakos.
“Multiple sources have made it clear to On3 that multiple brands will be lining up to sign Lewis to a multi-year NIL deal whenever he can begin to profit. USC is obviously a Nike school, but the quarterback has the clout where he could become a valuable chessboard piece for a sportswear brand.”
His NIL valuation grew by 121% following his commitment to USC.
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.