5-star QB Julian Lewis would bring ‘injection of life’ into the IU football program

The IU football program is not used to being in the national conversation when it comes to a high-profile recruitment. But, a new era with Curt Cignetti has brought that to light almost immediately with Indiana’s involvement with five-star quarterback Julian Lewis.

Just a few days after 247Sports national analyst Tom Loy made a slight prediction, the conversation surrounding Lewis to Indiana continues to grow.

“I do not expect him sticking with his pledge to the Trojans,” Loy said of Lewis. “I look at Indiana and Colorado and a lesser extent Auburn … I think that staff is doing a phenomenal job and we all know about the relationship with Tino Sunseri. I think Curt Cignetti is doing a phenomenal job recruiting him and making him a priority.

On Thursday, more national analysts discussed the potential for Lewis to land at Indiana.

“Right now, it seems like Indiana might be the most viable landing spot,” 247Sports recruiting analyst Cooper Petanga said on the Football Recruiting Podcast.

Julian Lewis has been one of the most high-profile and widely-discussed recruitments in the 2025 class ever since he reclasssed up from 2026. The former No. 1 overall player in 2026 is now the 15th overall player in 2025.

In two high school seasons, he’s thrown for 6,952 yards with 93 touchdowns and just 14 interceptions. This past season he had 3,094 yards with 48 touchdowns and just two interceptions, per MaxPreps. So, it’s clear that a commitment to the IU football program would come with a lot of national relevancy. Not only on the recruiting trail, but clearly on the field as well.

But, does it make sense for both sides?

“For Indiana, who does it make sense for the most? Curt Cignetti,” Petanga said. ” … For Curt Cignetti, year one, you want to generate buzz, you want to generate excitement. The perception deal around programs I think is a lot bigger deal than a lot of people think. To get excitement, to get people looking at your program.

“How’s that going to impact other recruits, especially if you’ve got a guy that can come in, day one, from the state of Georgia, that’s been put on a pedestal, and give you some really valuable snaps and a little stability at a position where you haven’t had that in quite some time. If there’s one place that it fits, it would be Indiana.

“He’s going out to California and Lincoln Riley is going to recruit the next best guy right after him. Or, he’s going to Auburn and going to go compete with a guy that’s a lot more traitsier, a lot bigger, a lot more physical in walker white. After that, Hugh Freeze is going to bring in another guy like that … He fits more of an Indiana than he does a USC or Auburn.”

It may make sense from a ‘play immediately’ perspective. But, there’s no doubt that NIL will be a factor. For Indiana, while NIL used to be an issue — it’s clear that wide gap has narrowed and the large investment that IU has made in the football program is paying off.

And, IU will now likely not lose this recruitment because of NIL.

“I think ultimately at the end of the day, it’s not only a good financial amount, it’s a good investment for Indiana,” Petanga said. “I don’t know if it’s a good investment for Auburn or USC, I’d probably argue that it’s not. But for Indiana, it makes a lot of sense, quite honestly.”

Indiana has revamped its program this offseason and NIL is just one of the routes the program has gone. The reason why? Curt Cignetti and the excitement he’s brought to the program and the fanbase.

Being involved with someone like Julian Lewis is an excitement level the program hasn’t seen before — but to land someone of this talent would take the relevancy of IU football to a level it hasn’t been in quite some time … if ever.

“This guy gives [Indiana] a little bit of a pathway to relevancy, and they haven’t been relevant in a while,” Petanga said “And it’s not just relevancy from a public perception standpoint. It’s relevancy with recruits. They can sell this guy, they can get behind him. I just think this is why it just makes a ton of sense for them.

There’s still a lot to pan out in this recruitment. And, while still a USC commit at the moment, the expectation is that won’t last long — opening the door even wider for Indiana football.