Peyton Lewis Announces College Decision, Commits To Tennessee
The Tennessee Volunteers got big news on Saturday when 2024 four-star running back Peyton Lewis made his college decision. The Virginia native chose the Vols over other suitors, such as Georgia, Alabama, Penn State, South Carolina, and Florida. He's currently on campus for an unofficial visit, joining the Vols for their "865 Live Event," a recruiting extravaganza that brought out major national talent.
Lewis has been high on the Vols for months now, and he decided it was time to shut his recruitment down. He's scheduled one official visit, and that would be with Tennessee. He will be in Knoxville again on June 23, joining some other top prospects and recruiting them to Rocky Top. We have plenty of time to get to know Lewis, the person, in the coming months, but let's dive into the film and see what they got from the player's perspective.
Prospect: Peyton Lewis
Projected Position: Running Back
Vitals: 6-1 and 190 pounds
School: Salem High School (Salem, Virginia)
Frame: Lewis has the prototypical size for a running back at the college level. He's a sturdy 190 pounds with a strong lower body. He utilizes his body to find contact and create angles; if you lean into defenders in the box, it causes others to overplay, meaning Lewis can bounce outside. It takes a different level of physicality to consistently execute this, as you must be comfortable shedding hits each play.
Athleticism: A two-time state champion in the 55-meter dash. Lewis runs a 6.54 55-meter dash, which was a meet record when he ran it. He also competes in the 60-meter dash and the 300-meter dash. The track speed is evident on the field as he flies by defenders and ruins pursuit angles. Lewis's initial burst is impressive, and he has solid redirect skills off of one cut, but he shouldn't be making multiple cuts in a possession.
Instincts: A very patient, comfortable runner. Lewis understands how to run and how everyone else is playing the run. He routinely sets things up with his feet, making abrupt movements behind the line of scrimmage to keep defenders from guessing his angle correctly and committing to it. Lewis knows where alleys will open and the most optimal route to get there and burst into the open field.
Polish: Salem High School runs primarily out of the I-formation, typically in 21 personnel. Lewis will need to adjust to the pace and space Tennessee offense but overall should be ready to physically compete at the SEC level once he gets to Rocky Top.
Bottom Line: The Vols added a quality runner to their class. Lewis is physically capable of shouldering a big workload in college and has the athleticism to become a home-run hitter. He reminds me a lot of current Tennessee running back Jaylen Wright, who burst onto the scene in his true freshman season as Tennessee's most explosive option out of the backfield. The coaching staff likely wants to add one more back to this class before it's all said and done, but they got a really good player in Lewis.
You Might Also Like:
- Top SEC Podcast Gives Several Tennessee Hot Takes
- Tennessee Holds Lead For Williams Nwaneri
- Scouting Tennessee's Top 2024 Targets: Tre Johnson
Join the community:
Follow Evan Crowell on Twitter: @EvanVCrowell
You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the top right-hand corner of the page. Also, be sure to like us on Facebook @VolunteerCountry & follow us on Twitter at @VCountryFN.