Julian Lewis, the top high school football player in the class of 2026, is headed to college a year early.
The quarterback told ESPN that he plans to reclassify and enter college in the class of 2025. That means this upcoming season at Carrollton High School in Georgia will be his final year in high school.
Lewis committed to USC in August. That’s one of several high-profile schools that has recruited him to come in either the class of 2025 or 2026.
“Since I was 7 years old, one of my goals has been to play Division I football,” Lewis told ESPN. “Through hard work and sacrifice that goal has become a reality. I have been blessed to have two good seasons under Coach Joey King and I have confidence that after this coming season I will be ready to compete at the next level.
“So, after much prayer and talking with my family, coaches and trainers I will be reclassifying to the class of 2025.”
Lewis is such a talent that he could be ESPN’s top-ranked high school player in either the class of 2025 or 2026.
Not surprising of a player of his stature, Lewis has offers from the sport’s top programs — Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, Texas and Oregon. Lewis, 16, is also the rare high school recruit who has built a strong national reputation outside of recruiting circles, as he already has 131,000 Instagram followers.
King also coached Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence when he was in high school. Lewis’ talent has been compared to that of both Lawrence and Georgia native Justin Fields when at the same age.
King told ESPN last year about Lewis: “I’ve had the privilege of coaching Trevor Lawrence. He’s in the same category as Trevor. The skill set and arm talent he has are definitely advanced for his age.”
In two seasons of high school, he’s thrown for a total of 7,212 yards, 96 touchdowns and completed nearly 66% of his passes. This year, he threw 48 touchdowns and just two interceptions, down from 12 a year ago.
Lewis had emerged as the face of the case for Georgia high school athletes to earn NIL deals, a rule that passed in the state in early October.
He’ll now have one more season of high school in Georgia before entering the college realm. USC does not have a quarterback commitment in the class of 2025. More than half of that class’ top quarterbacks — four of the top five dual threats and six of the top 10 pocket passers — have already verbally committed.
RALEIGH, N.C. — The Carolina Hurricanes have signed goaltender Frederik Andersen to a one-year contract for next season, worth $2.75 million for the 35-year-old veteran.
General manager Eric Tulsky announced the deal Saturday, a little over 48 hours before his team starts the second round of the playoffs against the Washington Capitals.
Andersen could earn up to $750,000 in incentives for games played and his participation in a potential run to the Eastern Conference finals next season. He would get $250,000 for playing 35 or more games, another $250,000 for getting to 40 and $250,000 if the Hurricanes reach the East finals and he plays in at least half of the playoff games.
“Frederik has played extremely well for us and ranks in the top 10 all-time for winning percentage by an NHL goalie,” Tulsky said. “We’re excited that he will be staying with the team for next season.”
Andersen and the Hurricanes, the No. 2 seed in the Metropolitan Division, advanced past the New Jersey Devils in Round 1 last week. They will meet the Capitals, who won the division crown, for the right to make the NHL’s final four.
Extending Andersen could give the team a goaltending tandem with Pyotr Kochetkov for less than $6 million combined.
Anderson, a Denmark native who previously played for the Anaheim Ducks and Toronto Maple Leafs, has become coach Rod Brind’Amour’s most trusted option in net. He is expected to return to the starting role for Game 1 of the Capitals series after getting injured in the first round against New Jersey.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Sovereignty outdueled 3-1 favorite Journalism down the stretch to win the 151st Kentucky Derby in the slop on Saturday.
Trainer Bill Mott won his first Derby in 2019, also run on a sloppy track, when Country House was elevated to first after Maximum Security crossed the finish line first and was disqualified after a 22-minute delay.
This time, he knew right away.
Sovereignty won by 1½ lengths and snapped an 0-for-13 Derby skid for owner Godolphin, the racing stable of Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
It was quite a weekend for the sheikh. His filly, Good Cheer, won the Kentucky Oaks on Friday and earlier Saturday, Ruling Court won the 2,000 Guineas in Britain.
Sovereignty covered 1¼ miles in 2:02.31 and paid $17.96 to win at 7-1 odds.
Journalism found trouble in the first turn and jockey Umberto Rispoli moved him to the outside. He and Sovereignty hooked up at the eighth pole before Sovereignty and jockey Junior Alvarado pulled away.
Baeza was third, Final Gambit was fourth and Owen Almighty finished fifth.
Rain made for a soggy day, with the Churchill Downs dirt strip listed as sloppy and horse racing fans protecting their fancy hats and clothing with clear plastic ponchos.
FORT WORTH, Texas — Connor Zilisch, the 18-year-old driver already with two NASCAR Xfinity Series race wins, will miss Saturday’s race at Texas because of lower back injuries sustained in a last-lap wreck at Talladega.
Trackhouse Racing said Wednesday that its development driver will return as soon as possible to the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet. The team didn’t provide any additional details about Zilisch’s injuries.
Cup Series regular Kyle Larson will drive the No. 88 in Texas. After that, the Xfinity Series has a two-week break before racing again May 24 at Charlotte.
Zilisch, sixth in points through the first 11 races, was driving for the win at Talladega Superspeedway when contact on the backstretch sent his car spinning, and head-on into inside wall.
Zilisch won in his Xfinity debut at Watkins Glen last Sept. 14. He added another win this year at Austin, the same weekend that he made his Cup Series debut. He has six top-10 finishes in his 15 Xfinity races.