Penn State target Peyton Lewis reveals his top five (ish) schools: BWI Daily

Penn State was one of the dozens of schools to offer fast-rising running back Peyton Lewis this winter after a breakout junior season. Today the 6-1, 185-pound track star sat down with the BWI Daily Edition to discuss his journey to this moment and what caused him to be a late-breakout player in the Class of 2024. He also discusses his views on football and family adversity, and he even gives host Thomas Frank Carr his current top schools.

Currently, Lewis isn’t ranked in the On300 or the On3 composite ranking, and Penn State is third in the RPM rankings with a 21.6% chance to land the Virginia native. However, after hearing the interview, you’ll see how that is all about to change.

If you’d like to hear the full interview, check out the YouTube video below or wherever you get your podcasts. Remember to subscribe to Blue White Illustrated on YouTube, so you don’t miss any player interviews. Also, if you’d like to get a question on the weekly mailbag show, submit a five-star review to Apple Podcasts and leave your question in the comments box.

Why the late breakout for Lewis?

Some players develop late, and others have obstacles to overcome before seeing the field. One of the reasons that Lewis wasn’t on the radar of recruiting services is that he didn’t play much during his sophomore season, as he explained to T-Frank.

“Sophomore year, I’m pretty sure it was the second game of the regular season, and I broke my left fibula. I had to have surgery, and I’m pretty sure I came back maybe two or three months later and I played the second round of playoffs because I can’t give up football. And I tore my right labrum on a kickoff return.”

After a devastating start to his football career, it might have been over early for the standout track star, who is ranked nationally in several events. However, the adversity forced him to grow and reflect upon his life. His maturity and perspective are impressive.

“So I had two surgeries and one football season. And that made me question if, you know, this is really for me. But after thinking about it, football is a lifestyle. Football’s a lifestyle. It’s not something you play. It’s not something you do. It’s not an activity. It’s a part of your life. And when I take football out of my life, I don’t feel myself.”

“I took one day away from football and it was the worst day of my life. I just; I couldn’t stay away from it. So I came back and I really had to stay out of my head. And I just had to focus on the future. And I broke out my junior season. I had a great season, so, you know, just very grateful that I had the people around me to push me and not give up,” he told the Daily Edition.

Penn State makes a strong first impression

So has Penn State stood out in the flurry of schools offering Lewis? And how has the process been for him? He says it’s been overwhelmingly positive.

“It’s been exciting. It’s been overwhelming, especially for me and my family. But I would say it’s definitely a blessing. A lot of people that I know and people in my family haven’t been in this position before, and I’m just grateful that I had the people around me to help me push to be in this position. So I’m just grateful,” He said.

After his campus visit, it’s clear by his words and actions that Penn State is very high on his list of schools. So again, check out the interview to hear about his top schools and how he describes his relationship with running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider. He also enjoyed the atmosphere of State College.

“I mean, I loved it. It was different than I thought it was going to be. And they really painted that picture for me at Penn State and my family. We kind of just instantly fell in love. So I can definitely see myself playing there, and I would definitely have to come back to Happy Valley for a while.”

Lewis said that he plans to visit other schools in March, as outlined in his conversation with Sean Fitz earlier this month. However, the Salem native wants to visit Penn State again, likely in mid-April.

Penn State has two players committed in the Class of 2024 and is ranked 18th in the On3 team rankings.