Fresh Off Auburn Visit, Julian Lewis Admits His Bias Toward USC for Lincoln Riley’s Storied Heisman Credentials

Julian Lewis’ heart has a special place for Coach Riley! The coveted five-star quarterback is creating a stir with his recent multiple college visits. Despite initially pledging his allegiance to Lincoln Riley’s USC Trojans, Lewis has been exploring his options by visiting other programs.

While Lewis won’t play for Riley this year, his impressive stats – 7,212 yards and 96 touchdowns – make him a hot commodity. Understandably, Trojan fans are confused by his visits to the Colorado Buffaloes and Indianapolis Greyhounds. And most recently, to meet coach Hugh Freeze in Auburn.

However, in a 247Sports interview, Lewis revealed a lingering preference for USC: “I chose USC for Coach Riley. He’s had a long run with quarterbacks. He’s had a good run with all the Heisman trophies and stuffs like that.” Now, this statement holds more weight.

The legendary Nick Saban, who coached four Heisman winners, has retired, leaving a yawning gap. Lincoln Riley, who has coached three Heisman winners, stands out for Lewis. This track record seems very appealing to the QB, who wants to join this elite group. Only coaching legends like Woody Hayes, Frank Leahy, and Red Blaik have succeeded similarly. As the only active coach with such a record, Riley looks like a top choice for Julian Lewis.

Some might question Lewis’ back-to-back visits. When asked about Auburn, he simply said, “It went well.” It seems these visits are a way to finalize his decision. “I want to get it over with now so I can focus on my last year,” Lewis admitted.

Lewis is just going through his “casual visits,” with the heart still struck on Riley’s team. Can Deion Sanders grab him from Riley?

Julian Lewis faces a tough choice

Julian “JuJu” Lewis has been raising eyebrows with his visits to multiple schools despite being committed to USC. Noting this, On3 analyst Philip Duke believes only two programs fit Lewis’ “celebrity” profile: “Souther Cal [USC] because they kind of had that with Caleb Williams and Colorado because they have it with Shedeur.”

USC holds a clear advantage with Caleb Williams who is already a Heisman winner under Riley’s tutelage. Lewis’ father, T.C., reportedly pushed for the USC commitment, believing Riley could turn Julian into another star like Williams. T.C. saw USC as the path for his son to “accomplish every goal that he has set.” However, Lewis’ subsequent visits to Deion Sanders’ Colorado threw a wrench in those plans.

While Colorado offers the allure of media attention with a high-profile program, the question remains: can it compete with USC’s Heisman potential? The answer might lie in Shedeur Sanders’ performance this year. If Shedeur wins the Heisman and the Buffaloes rack up wins in the Big 12, it could solidify Colorado’s appeal to Lewis.