Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans have signed Julian Lewis, one of the best quarterbacks of the 2025 recruiting class. Lewis, who was rated as a five-star quarterback in the 247 Sports Composite Rankings, announced his verbal commitment to the Trojans this offseason.
Now, however, the tide may be turning after an unexpected Big Ten rival has entered the picture. Reports suggest the Colorado Buffaloes and Indiana Hoosiers could potentially poach Lewis from USC, according to Tom Loy of 247 Sports. Loy claims he believes the Trojans are essentially out of the running and Indiana is ahead of Colorado if Lewis does indeed poach.
“I don’t expect him to keep his promise to the Trojans. Right now, I’m giving Indiana the edge over Colorado and the field.”
Even though Indiana is in the Big Ten, they aren’t considered one of the elite programs like Ohio State, Oregon or Michigan. But the Hoosiers seem to have a few tricks up their sleeve if they can lure Lewis away from USC.
Indiana doesn’t have the strongest recruiting class for 2025, as they’re ranked 46th in the nation. But the Hoosiers have done quite well in the transfer portal, ranking 25th according to 247 Sports. Their current top recruit is four-star quarterback Tyler Cherry from Greenwood, Indiana.
Lewis is considered one of the better quarterback recruits for the 2025 recruiting class. His 6’1″ and 185 pounds are nothing special, but his skills in the pocket give him incredible potential at the college football level.
USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley speaks to the media during Big 10 Football Media Day at Lucas Oil Stadium.
© Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports
Losing such a recruit would be a huge blow to Riley and the USC football program. The Trojans have received verbal commitments from 10 four-star recruits, and adding Lewis to that group would be a huge win. However, the program may have to come up with something to keep the potential five-star recruit on the team.
Riley took over as USC’s head coach in 2022. With over 20 years of coaching experience, the Trojans hope Riley can lead them back to title contention. He is known as a genius on offense, but poor defense has hurt his teams in the past, including last season when the Trojans’ defense finished 123rd in the FBS defensive rankings.
After going 8-5 last season, USC is looking to get back on track and make a splash in the Big Ten. The Trojans will kick off the 2024 season with an incredibly tough matchup against the LSU Tigers on September 1st.
