Around College Football: 2026 No. 1 Recruit Julian 'JuJu' Lewis Announces Verbal Commitment

The consensus top recruit of the Class of 2026 announced his commitment to Lincoln Riley and USC earlier in the week.

Julian "JuJu" Lewis, the consensus No. 1 overall prospect for the Class of 2026, has had a plethora of options to choose from among his list of offers throughout his high school career.

Tuesday, he made his decision, announcing his verbal commitment to Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans. The prospect who held five visited the program four times.

Last season at Carrolton (Ga.) high School, Lewis set Georgia state freshman passing records with 4,118 yards and 48 touchdowns en route to a 14-0 season that ended in a 70-35 loss to Mill Creek in the 7A state championship game.

He chose the Trojans over several other prestigious schools, including Alabama, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State, Oregon, and Texas A&M. Much of his decision came down to playing under established head coach Lincoln Riley.

“Coach Riley being the quarterback coach and OC makes USC different than a lot of programs,” JuJu told 247Sports of his decision in a recent interview. “He’s proven, all he does is turn his quarterbacks into to the best players in college football.”

Over the years, Riley has helped coach standouts Baker Mayfield of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kyler Murray of the Arizona Cardinals and Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles.

With the type of success his and track record Riley boasts, there's no question that Lewis will be in good hands moving forward when he takes the next step in his football career.