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USC football's top recruit for 2025 loses his 5th star

As of now, Julian Lewis remains committed to playing football at USC in 2025. Unfortunately, he will do so as a four-star prospect after recent recruit reevaluations.

ByJohn Fye|
Oct 20, 2023; Carrollton, GA, USA; Carrollton Trojans quarterback Julian Lewis (10) drops back to pass against the Westlake Lions during the first half at Grisham Stadium. The 15-year-old Carrollton High student has already committed to playing for the University of Southern California Trojans and has been considered one of the top high school quarterback prospects. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 20, 2023; Carrollton, GA, USA; Carrollton Trojans quarterback Julian Lewis (10) drops back to pass against the Westlake Lions during the first half at Grisham Stadium. The 15-year-old Carrollton High student has already committed to playing for the University of Southern California Trojans and has been considered one of the top high school quarterback prospects. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports | John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Until yesterday, Julian Lewis was Lincoln Riley's lone five-star recruit in the 2025 class. The Carrollton (GA) prospect remains committed to USC but is now a four-star player. Lewis significantly dropped during On3's reevaluation of its top 300 recruits in the 2025 class.

On3 now lists Lewis as the No. 7 quarterback and No. 44 overall prospect in 2025. He was previously listed as On3's No. 3 quarterback and No. 13 overall prospect in the class.

Considering JuJu's exceptional performance during the recent Elite 11 event, the rating reduction doesn't make much sense. Some are speculating On3 cutback on Lewis after his recent visit to Colorado. Historically, the major college recruiting outlet has undervalued the Buffaloes' top commitments.

Will losing Lewis losing a star help USC?

Dropping from a five-star to a four-star prospect won't change much as Riley remains engaged in a battle with Coach Prime to sign Lewis. The quarterback's last official visit was to Boulder, where the entire city made an impression. Lewis did not move off his USC commitment following the trip but removed mention of the Trojans from his social media accounts.

On a positive note, it seems less likely that Georgia will make a push for JuJu. Ryan Montgomery remains committed to the Dawgs and ranks (No. 16 QB) close to Lewis. There are also no plans for Lewis to visit Athens in the near future.

On3's Recruiting Prediction Machine has dropped Georgia's odds of signing Lewis from 23.8% to 21.4%. Unfortunately, USC's odds have also dropped from 19.3% to 14.9%. Both reductions result from Colorado's leap into the equation with a 17.4% chance of flipping Lewis before national signing day.

Riley cannot lose Lewis to the Buffaloes. The quarterback prospect remains adamant about his interest in playing for the USC head coach. Thus, a late-cycle flip would indicate a loss of confidence in Riley. NIL will also play a factor, but Coach Prime's program is not one we worry about outspending USC, despite the Trojans' troubles with the market.

A big season from Miller Moss in 2024 can help USC retain Lewis's pledge. In the meantime, we expect Lewis to be motivated to thrive in his senior high school season and regain his fifth star.

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