ATLANTA — Quarterback seems to be the talk of the town in Auburn.
Whether it's the Tigers' current rotation, or what's the next step in recruiting, the position is the centerpiece of any offense. Auburn signed Walker White in the 2024 class, but it's looking to bolster the room with another in the 2025 class.
There's been a lot of moving parts lately for Auburn's recruitment of quarterbacks this spring. So, let's get into the most obvious question heading into the summer.
Are the Tigers stepping it up with their pursuit of USC commit Julian Lewis?
"Definitely," Lewis said. "I love the coaching staff there, going to spend time out there is always a good experience."
The No. 1 overall player in the country, who reclassified from the 2026 class into the 2025 class, verbally committed to USC in August of last year. Auburn, along with Georgia, Colorado and Alabama, have all continued pressing for a flip.
He plans to officially visit all previously mentioned programs, including USC, this summer. Auburn will host him June 14-16, but being on campus won't be anything new for the five-star. Lewis already took two unofficial visits to Auburn earlier this year — one in January and one in March.
What's he looking forward to about his official visit?
"I mean, shoot, just going to hang out with the guys," Lewis said. "I’ve toured the town, talked to all of the coaches about football, talked to the school about academics, all that stuff. Just going to see if I could feel the living out there and just the vibe. I live in Carrollton, which is a small town, too, but just going to feel."
Auburn missed on one of its quarterback targets earlier this month when Husan Longstreet committed to Texas A&M over the Tigers. It makes the recruitment of Lewis that much more important, but some other dominos might have fallen in Auburn's favor.
Georgia, who at one point seemed like the favorite to flip Lewis, took the commitment of Ryan Montgomery last week.
"You gotta do what you gotta do as a coach so I’m definitely understanding about all that," Lewis said. "Did it take [Georgia] off the table a little bit more for me, start sliding it off? Yeah, but it just comes with the game."
Now, Auburn and Colorado appear to be the prime candidates for a flip, but Alabama is also working its way in the mix. Lewis will officially visit Colorado June 21-23 and plans to set up an official visit with Alabama.
It's also important to remember that Lewis will visit USC June 7-9, as the Trojans try to hold onto their highly coveted commit.
There's a lot to love about Auburn for Lewis, with a lot to think about over the coming months.
"Auburn’s great people," Lewis said. "I love it out there overall. I love the town, love the people out there, they got some great fans out there. You know it’s gonna be deep. Just getting a chance to play in something like the Iron Bowl is always something to look at."
Another thing to look at will be Auburn's offense going forward, as head coach Hugh Freeze becomes more involved in play calling.
"They’re turning it into an RPO passing thing," Lewis said. "Coach Freeze took over the offense now, he’s gonna want to throw the ball. He did it back at Ole Miss with all the other guys. I definitely like it out there."
It's been a long process for Lewis. He's tired of taking visits. He's ready to wrap it up.
"I just want to get it over with," Lewis said. "Of course I’m gonna enjoy my official visit experience because that’s a once in a lifetime type thing, but I’m ready to shut it down."
