SI All-American Candidate Terrence Lewis Highlights and Evaluation
Prospect: LB Terrence Lewis
Projected Position: Outside Linebacker
Status: SI All-American Candidate
Vitals: 6-foot-1, 200 pounds
School: Miami (Fla.) Northwestern
Committed to: Tennessee
Frame: Muscular build and good length at 6-foot-1, 200 pounds. Should carry more mass at the next level.
Athleticism: Lewis may be the twitchiest and most fluid linebacker in the class of 2021. He profiles more like a safety but plays bigger than his frame suggests. Speed, quickness, fluidity and raw power are each on the rare end of the spectrum and it amounts to as exciting a linebacker prospect as there is.
Instincts: A nose for the football is an understatement with Lewis, who racked up more than 100 tackles as a sophomore and junior. He is a fast-flow defender shot out of a cannon towards the ball carrier. In 2019 he showed improved coverage ability and made several plays on the football versus the pass, including multiple interceptions.
Polish: The volume element of Lewis’ game speaks to his closing speed and finishing power as a tackler. He forms up ball carriers with good leverage and short-area explosion. The rising senior can cover a lot of ground against the pass relative to his assignment. He could fall victim to the wash at times because he is so quick to the point, so patience and spacial leverage improvements can help him work towards his positional ceiling.
Bottom Line: Lewis is the linebacker prototype for the current day and age of college football. He can impact all three downs against a spread offense in moving towards the line of scrimmage or away from it with head-turning flashes along the way. Known for speed and pop at the point of contact, he can hold up in the box or in space despite a size disadvantage. As Lewis fills out and improves his ability to combat blockers he can ascend towards the command of a big-time college football defense.