Is Auburn football pivoting away from 5-star QB Juju Lewis?
![Oct 20, 2023; Carrollton, GA, USA; Carrollton Trojans quarterback Julian Lewis (10) watches on from the sidelines against the Westlake Lions during the first half at Grisham Stadium. The 15-year-old Carrollton High student has already committed to playing for the University of Southern California Trojans and has been considered one of the top high school quarterback prospects. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports Oct 20, 2023; Carrollton, GA, USA; Carrollton Trojans quarterback Julian Lewis (10) watches on from the sidelines against the Westlake Lions during the first half at Grisham Stadium. The 15-year-old Carrollton High student has already committed to playing for the University of Southern California Trojans and has been considered one of the top high school quarterback prospects. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_6000,h_3375,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/215/01j2ch5wa2n7ydm8xarm.jpg)
As we head into the final stretch of the recruitment of the class of 2025, which quarterback will choose Auburn football?
The summer months are a busy time for recruiting in the world of college football, and the Auburn football program has maintained a full schedule of camps and visits to pull in the top prospects from the recruiting class of 2025.
Though the class already has 16 commits, Freeze and the Tigers are still lacking a quarterback. For some time, most of the buzz has surrounded 5-star QB Julian "Juju" Lewis, who is currently committed to USC. The Carrollton, Georgia, native has kept his pledge to the Trojans, but is being heavily recruited by Auburn, Colorado, and Indiana.
Over the past few weeks, signs have pointed to a Juju Lewis flip. Freeze and the coaching staff have been hard at work on the recruiting trail, adding weapon after weapon to protect and aid the quarterback, especially in the trenches, which can only make the position more attractive to prospective QBs. Lewis officially visited the Plains last month, and for some time it seemed that Auburn was the frontrunner.
However, Lewis took a highly-publicized official visit to Colorado after his trip to Auburn, at which point it seemed like the Buffs were the favorite. On3 Sports' Phillip Dukes summed it up best:
"If I had to bust it down the middle, I wouldn't lean any way with any of these schools," Dukes said, per Auburn Daily. "What I do think is that Colorado really gave the Lewis family a lot to think about this weekend. I think that Auburn is going to continue to push and I think that USC - as long as he's committed to USC, I think you can never count them out, and I'd say they are the leader, because that's where he's committed to."
Today, the rumor mill has been churning, with reports that the Tigers might be tiring of waiting on Lewis to make a decision. All hope is absolutely not lost, but Auburn football may be cooling on Lewis, in which case the Tigers would likely pivot to KJ Lacey.
Lacey, from Saraland, Alabama, is a 4-star QB currently committed to Texas. The in-state prospect has been a priority target for Auburn football despite all the buzz about Lewis, and they have continued to recruit him despite his commitment to the Longhorns. Lacey officially visited Texas at the end of June and has no other official visits set up.
He told Auburn Live at the end of May that his relationships with the Auburn coaching staff and the talented wide receivers are what's keeping the Tigers in his recruitment, and that remains a positive. Should the Tigers decide to make a big push, Lacey would be a major flip candidate.