Julian Lewis at the Elite 11 Finals
5-star QB Julian Lewis is committed to USC, but Indiana is in the mix. Using notes coming out of the Elite 11 Finals can help IU fans familiarize with Lewis' game.
The Elite 11 Finals took place last week, and USC 2025 commit (and Indiana QB target) Julian Lewis participated. If you aren’t familiar with Elite 11, it’s the premier QB prospect camp during each recruiting cycle. Its website states, “Elite 11 event alumni include 28 of the past 32 current NFL starting quarterbacks, and 16 of the past 17 quarterbacks who have hoisted the Heisman Trophy.” It’s a great opportunity to get most of the top-rated QBs in one place.
I personally covered the 2019 Elite 11 Finals in Dallas that featured Bryce Young, Anthony Richardson, and CJ Stroud, as well as some names you might see in CFB in 2024 (Hudson Card, Ethan Garbers, Tyler Van Dyke, and more). Would you believe Stroud was the sleeper that year? This event changed his life, as Ryan Day was told how impressive he was and called him before Stroud even left Dallas. The rest is history.
This year, it took place in California, and 20 QBs participated, most of them committed. It spanned three days – two of them performance-based – and Lewis was a favorite going in. Based on the information being reported, widespread opinion of him didn’t change much, but it does help shape his profile for those who don’t cover the sport.
In case you’ve missed anything regarding Lewis’ recruitment, he is committed to USC but took official visits to Indiana, Auburn, and Colorado in addition to USC. Stakeholders at USC feel fairly confident about his commitment, but folks close to Auburn feel confident in their standing with him as well, and Lewis has a very close relationship with current Indiana QBs coach Tino Sunseri. The Daily Hoosier summarizes what Lewis told national media about his Indiana visit here. The odds that he ends up in Bloomington are still very low, but what once seemed like courtesy to a friend, from Lewis to Sunseri, now feels like actual interest.
Lewis, the No. 3 recruit out of Georgia, is rated by 247Sports Composite as the No. 9 overall recruit in the class (No. 2 QB).
These are the typical takeaways regarding Lewis during the Elite 11 Finals.
His decision to reclassify to 2025
Lewis was the youngest QB at the event, as he reclassified from 2026 to 2025, which means he is 16 years old competing against 17- and 18-year olds. Bud Elliott said on a Cover 3 podcast I’ll link below that reclassifying “doesn’t typically work out” for QBs, and Andrew Ivins at 247Sports did a good job summarizing the concern here. This particular note stood out to me:
“Lewis could certainly buck the trend, but at an event that brought together some of the nation's top prep quarterbacks, Lewis didn't really cement himself as one of the clear-cut dudes in the 2025 class (he was the No. 1 player in 2026 before he reclassified). The fact that he does not stand out in 2025 is a bit concerning for a player on the radar the last couple years as the "next big thing," and one who has been working with quarterback-specific trainers the past 10 years. We won't know whether he made the right decision for several years, but file away this observation as something to watch.”
Some QBs who have reclassified include Texas’ Quinn Ewers (good!), 3-school QB Jake Bentley (not so good), 4-school QB JT Daniels (bad), and former Rutgers QB Gavin Wimsatt (also not good). 247Sports did a good think piece on reclassification here, if you’d like to read more on that.
His size is always noted
At 6-foot, 185 pounds, Lewis is definitely on the smaller side. For the sake of comparison, Zander Diamont measured 6-1, 175 pounds; Tre Roberson 6-0, 200 pounds; Dexter Williams 6-1, 215 pounds; and Peyton Ramsey 6-2, 220 pounds. And what is most concerning about his size is that it’s not necessarily being a year younger that makes him undersized. At 6-foot, his frame doesn’t lend itself to packing on a ton of weight like some others, so while he can add weight, his frame will just always be smaller than others.
Looking at the top finishers at this year’s Elite 11 Finals, Keelon Russell – who was named MVP and is committed to Kalen DeBoer and Nick Sheridan at Alabama – is 6-3, 180 pounds; Tavien St. Clair (Ohio State commit) is 6-4, 225 pounds; and Deuce Knight (Notre Dame commit) is 6-5, 210 pounds. That’s not to say every QB there was much larger than Lewis, as Florida State commit Tramell Jones is 5-11, and Texas A&M commit Husan Longstreet is 6-foot. Both of them earned rave reviews too, with Longstreet surprisingly earning “Strongest Arm” from On3 as one of the smaller QBs in the group.
Lewis profiles as a “polished” QB who lacks overwhelming physical tools
That’s a word that is used most often to describe Lewis (and some other QBs). “Polished” essentially means he is mechanically sound – maybe more than sound – and passes with accuracy. Also, how consistent and fluid is he in his reads, progressions, and footwork? He always receives high marks as a “polished” QB, which is what led On3 to name him as the No. 6 overall top performer at the event and tag him as “Most Accurate.”
According to 247Sports’ Tom Loy (in an interview linked below), Lewis earned a score of 50 (perfect) during the Pro Day accuracy drill, which is a gauntlet of routes and passing scenarios in a high-speed drill to test accuracy and mechanics, and that 50 was just the second time a 50 has been given. The other time was CJ Stroud in 2019 (I wish I could find the video I took of his drill; it was objectively amazing). Here are some highlights from Lewis’ day, courtesy of Rivals. On3 named Lewis their No. 4 Day Two performer in the group.
Something that On3 noted, which is also evident in Lewis’ tape, is that he doesn’t have high-end arm strength and primarily works in the short-to-intermediate range. While ranking Lewis No. 7 overall in the group, 247Sports noted, “Lewis might not have a prototypical build, but he has the makeup of a high-volume, up-tempo passer that can pick defenses apart.” That’s why, in high-class Georgia HS football, Lewis has posted a 66% completion percentage for 7,212 yards, 96 TDs, and 14 INTs as a freshman and sophomore. But alongside the top QBs in the 2025 class, On3 noted that he is “more of a cerebral distributor at the position rather than a toolsy, top physical talent” while ranking him No. 10 on Day One, when attributes like arm strength are displayed.
Overview
Overall, the knocks on Lewis haven’t prevented scouts and informed media from giving Lewis praise. Of the more undersized QBs, he gets the most talk, and overall, he was rated No. 6 and No. 7 by On3 and 247Sports. He completed 14-of-17 passes for 3 TDs during 7-on-7, and again, he earned a 50 for his Pro Day, which is extremely impressive. Any critiques on his game sound loud because for a consistent, accurate passer, that is what is expected of him, but ultimately, the tools that make him the No. 2 QB in the class (for now) are still there.
For Indiana, the fact that the program is even being remotely discussed during the Elite 11 Finals is notable. Most programs are so far removed from this event if they aren’t the blue bloods. It’s great marketing, if nothing else.
Further Notes from Sources
The Cover 3 Podcast discussed the Elite 11 Finals. They didn’t discuss Lewis too much, but it gives a good idea of what came out of the event.
247Sports’ Tom Loy interviewed Lewis for a few minutes. Not a lot came from the interview, but it gives you an idea of how Lewis carries himself.
On3 listed their Overall Top Performers, and 247Sports listed theirs as well. I mentioned Lewis came in at No.6 and No. 7, respectively, but there’s more info in there too.
On3 listed their superlatives for the event too, which is a good idea of each QB’s profile.
247Sports’ Andrew Ivins briefly broke down Lewis’ Elite 11 Finals performance, noting that he wanted to see more zip on the ball, calling Lewis a “one-speed passer,” and that he surprisingly isn’t super mobile in the pocket for an undersized QB.