Can Indiana Football land Five-Star Julian Lewis? It might not matter as much as you think.

In 2019 defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux was one of the most coveted defensive players in college football. He was the top defensive end in the country and had his choice of schools. Thibodeaux decided to take all of his official visits. One of those visits was to Florida A&M. While the Rattlers had little chance to sign him, they benefitted from his visit.

Indiana football has a much better chance of signing five-star quarterback Julian Lewis than FAMU had of signing Thibodeaux. According to 247sports.com, he is a hard commit to USC but wants to keep his options open. In addition to Indiana, Lewis plans to visit Auburn, Colorado, and Georgia.

The fact that Indiana football is on this list is impressive. If Indiana were to shock the football recruiting world and land Lewis, he'd be the highest rated recruit in school history and Indiana's first five-star signee. If Indiana doesn't sign Lewis, his presence on campus is proof that Curt Cignetti wants to compete for the best high school recruits in the country.

Lewis is part of a bigger plan

Cignetti and his staff have made it no secret; they want to win now. The staff went heavy in the portal to find productive veterans. They believe that if they can win now, it will help high school recruiting and produce something Indiana football has never had, sustainability.

Cignetti knows high school recruiting and development is paramount to building a sustainable college football program. Having Lewis on campus proves Cignetti's commitment to this ideal.

It's a longshot to sign Lewis, but his presence on campus is a plus for the Hoosiers. That said, Cignetti might just fool around and steal him from USC.