UCF Spring Practice Countdown: #7, LB Terrence Lewis

One of the most gifted players to ever sign with the Knights, Terrence Lewis has many aspects of his game he can improve during spring despite an injury.

Author:
Brian Smith
Publish date:
Mar 20, 2022 7:58 AM EDT

ORLANDO - For anyone that’s seen Terrence Lewis play live, no definitive explanation is necessary. He’s a freak. For anyone that’s not seen him play live, it’s nearly impossible to define his talents.

That’s point No. 1. Pick an aspect of his athleticism and one could define that aspect as Lewis’s best. That would be the issue. Which one does one start with?

Burst? Sheer speed? Lateral change of direction? Leaping ability?

For a short summary, Lewis has shown the ability to play the run like an inside linebacker should be beating running backs to the hole, attacks the quarterback like a defensive end with his propensity to find a gap in the offensive line, and even covers much like a cornerback despite playing inside linebacker.

There’s one issue for this spring, however, and that’s Lewis coming off ACL surgery. He’s limited, according to UCF Head Football Coach Gus Malzahn. Even so, Lewis has several areas that absolutely must be taken care of during spring that require no physical work.

Terrence Lewis

Size: 6’2”, 200-pounds

Position: Weak Side Linebacker

Experience

Lewis sat out the 2021 season with an ACL injury. Thus, he’s never actually played a down of college football. Prior to signing with Maryland out of Miami (Fla.) Central, he was one of the most highly coveted players in the country. From a physical perspective alone, he was probably the most gifted prep player in the land. Now it’s time to work on other areas that will help his natural talents be even more impactful.

Respect

There are going to be a lot of eyeballs on Lewis. Everyone knows who he is. His recruitment was crazy with an incredible number of schools that went after him. After the transfer and the knee injury, he now has to prove to his new teammates that he’s ready to work and get after it like any other player.

This is college. Natural talent is not enough. Film study, film study, and more film study. There’s really no limit and other players need to know he’s willing to do it. Same with learning the UCF defense. Will he be directly involved during position meetings? How does he engate with all of the other defensive players? A locker room has a lot of opinions. He needs to win that battle even more than most because of his notoriety.

Fair? Of course not. Life's not fair. He’s a special talent though and there’s going to be players that want to see him earn playing time by their standards (not coach’s standards) and that is where the studying and communication in meetings comes into play. As long as he does that, Lewis should gain the respect of his teammates.

Be Versatile

While he may not be involved in full-contact drills, Lewis has the ability to learn not only his base defensive responsibility but also multiple packages. Nickel, dime, and even playing more than one linebacker position. UCF is paper thin at linebacker until otherwise proven in an actual game so it’s imperative that Lewis know the actual responsibilities of weak side linebacker, his natural position, and probably at least one of the other two – Middle linebacker or Knight – to help with a thin depth chart. There’s one more area he needs to excel at.

The Weight Room

Lewis has never been the biggest player. His athleticism and physical nature have allowed him to be an excellent player. To hold up to a 12 game college schedule, however, he needs to gain weight. The UCF Athletic web page lists Lewis at 6’3” (not buying that) and 190-pounds. He’s probably eating a lot of calories right now because it’s no secret that he needs weight, and that’s why this article lists him at 200-pounds. Still, that’s 15-20 pounds shy of where he needs to be in September.

If Lewis can reach 220, it will help him take the physical pounding that comes with playing inside linebacker at the college level. Hard to imagine him being able to hold up at any weight near 200-pounds.

Final Thoughts

Lewis is a special talent but there are challenges that lie ahead for him to maximize his abilities this fall. He’s a heat-seeking-missile on the field, but one that’s coming off a major injury. Can he conquer rehab and win over his teammates, plus be a top-notch student of the game by learning the playbook at multiple spots? It’s a lot, but UCF is in a tough spot with numbers at linebacker. If Lewis succeeds across the board UCF’s defense will be much better this fall.

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