Carrollton quarterback Julian Lewis, one of the nation’s most heavily recruited players, backed off his commitment to Southern Cal last week.
In his first interview since, in a four-questions format, the AJC Super 11 player declined to discuss that decision, or where he might ultimately land, but Lewis did talk about what elite recruits should look for in a college team and offered advice on handling the pressures of fame and recruiting.
“You’ve got to look at where your career goals are at the end of the day,” he said.
Lewis also talked about Carrollton football and what he’ll miss about high school.
1. What advice would you give to other elite football prospects who are going through similar things you have experienced, such as media attention and NIL deals? “Just keep the main thing the main thing. We’re all going to play college football eventually if we’re talking about the top guys. Just focus on being with your brothers, being with your family, just playing football, because eventually, it’s all going to come to an end. Right now, I’m trying to enjoy my last month with the guys at the school and my family. I leave in December to go to college as a 17-year-old, so it’s just trying to soak it all up while I can.
“At the end of the day, we’re all getting paid. Like money isn’t going to be a problem. I wouldn’t make that the biggest concern on determining schools and deciding stuff. You want to go somewhere where you’re comfortable and where you can trust that the people around you are going to make you better because NIL money is nowhere near NFL money. You’ve got to look at where your career goals are at the end of the day. I feel like my dad [TC Lewis] and me, and my whole crew around me, set it up pretty well where I’d be in the position that I’m in right now. So I’m just blessed and grateful. Of course, my Dad, he’s my rock. I live with him and my stepmom. Dad’s been a big thing. He’s my manager. He makes the final decision, he tries to steer me in the right direction, of course. Coach King [Carrollton coach Joey King] has been through it with Trevor Lawrence back in the day [when King was Lawrence’s high school coach at Cartersville], so he understands the whole high recruit and all that stuff. So he can see from that point of view because he’s been there before.”
2. How do you deal with this spotlight and fame while also being a regular high schooler? “At the end of the day, we’re still regular people. But I feel like I’ve kind of been dealing with the media stuff for a long time. I mean, I got my first offer in eighth grade, so it’s definitely one of those things I have to grow into and get used to. But that’s also a part of growing up as a highly recruited football player. I mean, I’m not a public speaker, I’m not one of those people that enjoys the camera time, but I understand stuff comes with it. I just try to soak it up and look at the bright side of the whole situation. That’s what we signed up for. I wanted to play the next level and be good at it. I play the quarterback role. My job is to lead and be the front lines. That’s just my persona and where I have to be.”
3. How is this year’s Carrollton team different from the first two that you played on? Why do you feel you have had more success this season, and how are you different as a player? “Honestly, this team kind of reminds me of my freshman year team, the year we went to the state championship game. Just the overall team connection and team bonding. I felt like that was what we were missing last year, just that brotherhood and the family. This year, it feels like a family again. It’s just going out there with our brothers every day to play for each other. Of course we have good football players, but we all go out there and play for each other, and we play to win. Everybody is playing to win, but it’s different when you’re doing it with people you can call your family. We’re competitors, and this is a competitive sport. It’s an aggressive sport, it’s kind of what we do. But overall, like mentally, I’ve definitely gotten a better understanding of what I’m looking at and reading defenses and all that. That’s part of growing as a quarterback. And of course, I’ve gotten a lot stronger and all of that extra stuff that all comes with just growing up and getting ready to move on.” [Lewis led Carrollton to the Class 6A final as a freshman and passed for a state finals record 531 yards and five touchdowns in the title game, a 70-35 loss to Mill Creek. Lewis surpassed 10,000 yards passing for his career (10,054) in a 46-7 victory over Dacula last week. Carrollton is 36-3 in Lewis’ three seasons as a starter.]
4. What are you going to miss most about being a high school football player? “Locker rooms after the game, locker rooms after Thursday morning practices. There’s a lot to miss about being around the guys. But we all have to move on. Of course, I am going to come back here and see the younger guys that I might have moved away from in the 2026 class. I can’t say I’m going to miss classes. I might miss the little Waffle House after the game and stuff like that, and of course I’ll probably end up being neighbors with my [college] teammates in the dorm rooms anyway. There’s stuff to miss, but none of that stuff is in the school building or on the football field. It’s just hanging around people. Honestly I’m looking forward to the competition level in college. That was a one of the things I looked into when I re-classed. It was a ‘if I stayed that senior year, would I even have fun?’ kind of thing. It was like a ‘I think it’s time to move on to the next level.’ My main aspect right now is trying to put on weight. That’s the thing, is getting ready to be hit by a lot of grown men that have been there for a while. Of course, growing mentally and coverages and all that stuff is going to be a lot different. And defenses are scheming you up a lot harder than high school.”
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