"They were going to take who's on": Recruiting insider shares behind-the-scenes of Julian Lewis' USC flip

Five-star quarterback Julian Lewis' potential flip from USC to Colorado was a predicted move. However, five-star quarterback Husan Longstreet's flip from Texas A&M to the Trojans just a few minutes after Lewis' decommitment from the school was a move nobody could have predicted.

It felt like Longstreet was waiting for Lewis' announcement, and fans were curious what happened behind the door. On Tuesday, On3's Hayes Fawcett, known for his striking recruitment graphics, provided a peek into the chaotic sequence of events. According to Fawcett, the first domino fell late the night before Longstreet's announcement.

"He (Longstreet) had reached out to me and told me that he had just told the USC coaches that he was going to flip and wanted me to get everything ready," Fawcett said.

The next day, while Fawcett was visiting a museum in Houston, he received another bombshell, as Lewis texted him that he was ready to decommit from USC immediately.

"I was like, okay, cool. When do you want to put it out? He was like right now," Fawcett said.

Fawcett paused his work on Longstreet’s graphic to handle Lewis’ news. Within moments of Lewis’ decommitment announcement, Longstreet’s commitment to USC went public.

The back-to-back announcements also raised questions about whether USC’s coaching staff had informed Lewis of their intent to secure Longstreet. Fawcett weighed in on the discussion, saying:

"I wouldn't say the timing of the Julian Lewis decommitment was by coincidence. I believe I don't know how for an advance they told him that, you know, they were going to take who's on. But I guess as soon as he got wind of that, he wanted to make it public that he was going to come in from USC."

USC and Colorado were winners in the move, as Lewis would fill the void of Shedeur Sanders next season, and the Trojans also filled the void caused by Lewis' decommitment.

Even Texas A&M also covered the blow of Longstreet's decommitment by flipping four-star quarterback Brady Hart from Michigan, which had flipped five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood from LSU. This flipping game was insane last month.

Julian Lewis' potential as Colorado's QB1 next season

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders openly acknowledged that he wants Julian Lewis as his successor. Deion Sanders and his coaching staff also left no stone unturned to make the thing happen, and their effort was successful.

The Buffaloes fans witnessed a 9-3 season this year and expect this record to continue or increase in the upcoming season when Lewis will be the QB1.

However, questions remain about whether Lewis’ physical frame can withstand the rigors of college football. The 6-foot, 186-pound signal-caller is slightly undersized for the position, which has led some analysts to predict potential challenges. Will Helms of College Football Network weighed in on Lewis’ potential.

"I don’t have player comps for every player on this list, but Lewis has the point guard distribution ability of Bryce Young with better pocket movement and athleticism at this stage in his career," he said. "While he needs to get in the weight room, I’d pencil him in as the starter in Boulder next season."

Transitioning from high school to college football often requires adjustment, especially for quarterbacks with smaller frames. It will be interesting to see how Lewis copes with the challenge.