Elite Vols LB Commit Lewis Clarifies Commitment Status

Terrence Lewis is the elite of the elite in the 2021 recruiting class. He is a consensus top end prospect on any recruiting site you look at, which has left Tennessee fans hanging on every move that Lewis makes, as the national recruitment has already been unpredictable at times.

Earlier today, Lewis tweeted out several tweets that led to speculation regarding his commitment status.

He would follow that up with the tweet below:

Which led to the speculation that Lewis had de-committed from Tennessee, and was now looking at Tennessee and LSU.

August 1st is the date "official offers" are sent out to rising seniors. While prospects report verbal offers throughout the process, without an official offer in their senior season, they are effectively worth nothing.

Nebraska, Miami, and Texas A&M have been considered to be the main threats at making a push for Lewis' services, but it will now be interesting to see if LSU gets involved more after sending an official offer.

At the time of his commitment in April, Lewis told VR2 on SI, "Tennessee has stayed in contact with me no matter what. Even one point in time when I wasn't messing with them, they still stuck around. I love Tennessee. It is a beautiful place and the coaches are always staying in contact with me and they are building a great class."

Lewis was also excited to get the chance to play for Jeremy Pruitt, as he said, "I am very excited because he focuses on LB's and defense, so that means I'll get some attention from the head coach.

Lewis is an Sports Illustrated All-American Candidate, and his evaluation reads:

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.