Ben Lewis is Syracuse’s newest football commit, and interestingly he’s still so under the radar it’s difficult to find a breakdown from any of the major scouting services. It may not matter. Lewis has the size, he has the passion and according to those around him, a work ethic that’s off the charts. This kid has all the makings of a true fan favorite.
Friday afternoon, on his way back from  a visit to Syracuse, Lewis committed to play for the Orange. The past month has been a fruitful one for SU, landing 13 players in over the course of June and now the first days of July. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound receiver caught 48 passes for 911 yards and 13 touchdowns for Middletown High in Maryland.
He earned second-team all-state honors and played both ways. As a defensive end for the Knights, Lewis had 73 tackles (52 solo) and eight sacks. His 40 time is clocked at just 4.56, which seemed to scare off some colleges. But who cares about a 40-yard dash when the kid has heart to go with those numbers?
Nearly 1,000 yards of offense? Guess he’s finding enough speed to blow past defensive backs. 13 touchdowns? He’s clearly beating his man to the end zone. Check out this profile from MDHigh.com.
“This is a kid who, when told he needed to add bulk, worked out twice a day in the weight room and changed his diet from McDonald’s to angus steaks. This is a kid who, when told he wasn’t fast enough, began working with personal speed coaches to bring his 40-yard dash time down in the 4.5-second range. This is a kid who, when told he had to play five different positions on offense and defense, shrugged and asked, ‘Can I play special teams, too?’ (For the record, he did. He returned 13 punts last year and played gunner on the coverage team.)”
Orange Nation should start salivating when reading this quote about Lewis: “He ran so hard, with an absolute reckless abandon. He just ran over people, and when he got hit he popped right up and ran back to the huddle. I was like, ‘Man, I wish I could coach this guy.'”
Love this kid already. Lewis might not have had a bright spotlight on him this recruiting season, but sounds like SU just picked up a terrific piece of the puzzle.
Posted: D.A.
