2025 five-star QB highlights key targets expected to visit Indiana football this weekend

This weekend in Bloomington is about to be the biggest in recent history and a lot of it has to do with Curt Cignetti’s Indiana football squad as they host Nebraska for the annual homecoming game.

This weekend just got bigger with On3 national recruiting analyst Steve Wiltfong confirming that a huge name will be in attendance for the game on his Thursday’s podcast.

That name is 2025 five-star quarterback Julian Lewis, who has been a top recruit for Indiana football since Cignetti took over the program.

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.

Lewis right now has led his high school team, Carrollton, to an 8-0 record while throwing for 1,843 yards including 28 total touchdowns and only 4 interceptions. In two high school seasons prior, he threw 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.

The relationship for Indiana football and Lewis can be credited to Hoosier Quarterback Coach Tino Sunseri who has know Lewis since he was younger.

“[Sunseri] had Julian Lewis in camp at Florida State when he was like eight years old. Tino Sunseri really connected with the Lewis family. They’ve kept in touch through his time at Alabama, James Madison, and now he’s at Indiana,” Wiltfong said.

“They’ve certainly shown Julian Lewis an offense that he could thrive in, and it’s a coaching staff that he has a lot of trust with because of that long standing relationship that he has with Coach Sunseri.”

Currently, Lewis is committed to USC but that commitment is not expected to last. Indiana football may be the frontrunner in this recruiting battle.

“I do not expect him sticking with his pledge to the Trojans,” 247Sports national analyst Tom 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.”

“For Indiana, who does it make sense for the most? Curt Cignetti,” 247Sports recruiting analyst Cooper Petanga said on the Football Recruiting Podcast. ” … 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.

Wiltfong also shared that three-star edge rusher Tyrone Burrus will be on campus, too. The Warren Central product is currently committed to Louisville.

“He told he will be at Indiana on Saturday which I think is significant because Louisville is hosting Miami,” Wiltfong said. “For him to come to IU for that big game instead of going down to Louisville, it means something to me.”

Also three-star defensive lineman Benny Patterson III, who is currently committed to Cincinnati, is also expected to be in attendance on Saturday.

Patterson III visited USC last week and currently holds offers from LSU, Michigan, and others.

SEE ALSO: Indiana football running backs ready to stay ‘consistent’ by ‘running and winning as a collective’ as they face first major test against stout Nebraska defense

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