Fact or Fiction: Georgia will eventually flip Julian Lewis from USC
Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney is joined by national recruiting analyst Marshall Levenson, Jed May of UGASports.com and Kenny Van Doren of DeathValleyInsider.com to tackle three topics and determine whether they believe each statement is FACT or FICTION.
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1. LSU has the most impressive 2025 class right now.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. I love LSU’s class. It’s amazing that coach Brian Kelly and his staff have landed five-stars at quarterback, running back and wide receiver so far and others could join the group as this recruiting cycle plays out. But if the axiom that defense wins championships is true, then I have to give the slight edge to Ohio State’s class for a couple reasons.
First, new five-star offensive tackle Carter Lowe is a special athlete as the Buckeyes targeted Lowe early in the recruiting process and landed his commitment. But even bigger is that Ohio State has already secured the commitment of No. 1 cornerback Devin Sanchez from Houston (Texas) North Shore and No. 2 corner Na’eem Offord from Birmingham (Ala.) Parker. Both are big, physical and incredibly talented players.
Then throw in standout QB Tavien St. Clair and high four-star DE Zahir Mathis along with others? LSU has a phenomenal class and Notre Dame has loaded up early but I’ll give the edge to Ohio State’s group right now.
Van Doren’s take: FACT. Even though ranked third in the class of 2025 team recruiting rankings, LSU has something the two programs in front of it don’t: a trio of offensive five-stars. What’s carried the Tigers’ value since January has been the commitments of quarterback Bryce Underwood and running back Harlem Berry.
With Berry moving into five-star status last month, LSU picked up its third on the offensive side with Underwood and wide receiver Dakorien Moore – both rated the best at their respective position in the class. And with so much time left in the recruiting cycle, Berry has months to prove he’s also in that category and jump into the No. 1 spot at his position.
With changes on the defensive staff, it’s not alarming that four-star Jaylen Bell decommitted. The Tigers limited conversation with him, and the current staff has since looked elsewhere. They landed four-star safety Jaboree Antoine – an in-state recruit – and continue to be hard on Rivals250 defensive backs from around the country, following the return of secondary coach Corey Raymond.
Brian Kelly put an emphasis on recruiting ability with his new defensive coaches as defensive line coach Bo Davis continues to bridge connections with his prior targets at Texas, and with Keylan Moses also in the fold, the Tigers are taking every step necessary to build out their best class under the Kelly regime.
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2. Georgia will eventually be able to flip five-star QB Julian Lewis.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. If you talk to some in the Georgia media, Julian Lewis’ flip is all but imminent and it’s basically a done deal that the five-star quarterback will end up with the Bulldogs. That could very well happen as coach Kirby Smart doesn’t lose out on many top targets – especially ones just a few hours away from campus – but I’m not entirely sure just yet.
Lewis has a lot of confidence in playing for coach Lincoln Riley and playing in an offense that has produced Heisman Trophy winners and No. 1 NFL Draft picks. Whether Lewis is a better passer than Kyler Murray or Baker Mayfield, or more like Bryce Young, or a smaller version of Caleb Williams, he is special in so many ways and could carve his own path in Riley’s offense. With a renewed sense of purpose to fix the defense (and if that happens quickly this season at USC), I’m not certain Lewis flips.
May’s take: FACT. I go back and forth on Lewis’ recruitment. There’s so much involved with recruiting a No. 1 quarterback, especially one of Lewis’ caliber and status, that makes it hard to predict. However, Georgia clearly appears to be the team in the best position to flip Lewis. He has visited Athens many times and has great relationships with many coaches on staff, including of course head coach Kirby Smart.
There is some confidence around the program that Lewis will be a Bulldog in the end. I’m a little less confident, but the Bulldogs have a better shot to swipe him from the Trojans than anyone.
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3. It's going to be nearly impossible to move DE Jahkeem Stewart off the No. 1 line for the 2026 recruiting cycle.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. It’s going to be very difficult to move Jahkeem Stewart off that top line because he’s been so dominant for so long and I wrote that he would’ve been a five-star in the 2024 recruiting class. The New Orleans (La.) St. Augustine standout has NFL size, he has a phenomenal work ethic to get better and dominate at all times, and his projection is through the roof.
But impossible to have someone else No. 1? I’m not going to go there yet. Sitting at second in the rankings is elite offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell, whose parents were both Olympians. Ohio State commit Chris Henry Jr. is a phenomenal receiver, perhaps in the Jeremiah Smith mold. And it’s so early in the recruiting process that others could emerge.
Levenson’s take: FACT. When projecting a prospect to the NFL Draft, there is not an easier decision than Stewart right now. The physical development and athletic profile at this stage of his prep career is just too much to ignore. His frame at 6-foot-6, 280 pounds with elite length shows his body will be ready to compete at an elite level when he arrives on a college campus and beyond.
He plays a premium position and already shows elite traits and characteristics despite not playing much at the varsity level. There might be some conversation at times in this cycle of Cantwell, who is elite in his own right, but I think there is a sizable gap Stewart has at this time.
If the production and testing measurables continue to progress for Stewart as seems likely, the term 'generational prospect' will be one he will have a legitimate claim at.