Nation’s top prospect Julian Lewis talks Ohio State visit

Ohio State had its last opportunity of the season to host recruiting visitors for a game day experience on Saturday as the Buckeyes rolled past to Minnesota and into an undefeated showdown with Michigan this coming Saturday.

Among the headliners of the visit weekend was class of 2026 Carrollton (Ga.) quarterback Julian Lewis. Lewis, the nation’s No. 1 overall prospect in his class, gave USC an early verbal commitment over the Buckeyes, Alabama, and many others.

But Lewis has taken a round of unofficial visits this fall as those programs have not so easily given up on one of the nation’s most talented signal callers. The visit to Ohio State over the weekend made a good impression on the five-star prospect.

“I had a great time,” Lewis told BuckeyeHuddle.com. “The stadium and pregame atmosphere was amazing. Coach Day and Coach Dennis are down to earth and real. They let me know that guys who come to Ohio State can’t be worried about the moment and have to want the expectations that come with playing there.”

Ohio State met Lewis’ expectations and the run of NFL players out of the program was not lost on him.

“Nothing really surprised me,” he continued. “It’s just easy to forget how much history Ohio State has. Justin (Fields) and C.J. (Stroud) had great careers there but so many guys came before them.”

Making such an early recruiting decision may seem like a stress reliever, but in today’s landscape, schools don’t give up on committed prospects so easily. But Lewis has relied on his support system to help him figure out his process.

“It’s not hard to navigate,” he said. “My dad really is the one who looks at everything and kind of makes sure I have all the information. He knows what I want to accomplish and has always put me in good situations. He tells me I’m in spot where you’re comparing the best against the best. So I’m blessed to be in this situation and just have to see what makes the most sense in the end.”

With two more years to go before the 2026 class, Lewis has plenty of time to sort things out on his end. Ohio State, with commitments in the 2024 and 2025 classes has time to be patient as well.