Did NIL lead to Julian Lewis’ retirement from the USC-Trojans? Colorado Buffalo Loom

Five-star quarterback Julian Lewis was the USC Trojans’ crown jewel in their 2025 recruiting class.

Now, Lewis has decommitted from Lincoln Riley’s Trojans and is expected to join the Colorado Buffaloes to play for coach Deion Sanders.

Lewis is one of the key players in the Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) field.

“Shoot, living on money,” Lewis told On3. “I have to help provide for my family. I bought my first car. I bought my dad’s car. It was definitely a blessing to go through the process. But my whole thing is football. I’ll make more in the NFL than I will do now in high school or college at NIL.”

The standout quarterback from Carrollton High School in Georgia has signed NIL deals with Alo Yoga, Cactus Jack and Leaf Trading Cards. He has an NIL rating of $1.1 million, which is the second-highest in the high school NIL rankings behind LSU’s quarterback commitment Bryce Underwood ($1.3 million).

Did NIL play a role in Lewis’ decision to withdraw from USC?

Colorado is a star in the NIL department, with two of the highest-earning college athletes in the country. Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders has a whopping $6.2 million NIL valuation, while cornerback Travis Hunter’s valuation is $3.4 million, according to On3. Sanders and Hunter are ranked first and third, respectively, with LSU gymnast Livvy Dunn ($4 million) at No. 2.

If NIL is a priority, the Buffaloes are a marketable team to hang on to.

The Georgia Bulldogs and Indiana Hoosiers are also pushing hard for Lewis’s commitment.

The No. 2 ranked quarterback in the class of 2025 according to ESPN, Lewis has also discussed the Lamborghini Texas Longhorns NIL connection.

“I’m not gonna lie, Texas had all that Lambo stuff. That junt was cool,” Lewis said. ‘Like when they still had that stuff. That kind of thing is an eye-catcher for a 16-year-old. You’re like, go get a Lambo. That kind of thing. That’s just cool. I don’t really know.”

Sanders is expected to be an early NFL Draft selection in 2025, and Colorado will need to fill his void. Lewis could possibly be the perfect match.

As for USC, just hours before the news of Lewis’ withdrawal, the Trojans had flipped five-star quarterback Husan Longstreet from Texas A&M.

Longstreet is ranked as the No. 4 quarterback in the class of 2025 according to 247Sports’ rankings.