Tennessee freshman running back Peyton Lewis 'looks like a grown man'
Speed dominated the On3 scouting report for Peyton Lewis. The 2024 four-star running back clocked consecutive 100-meter times under 11 seconds, with a personal best of 10.50. He won state championships in the 100 and 200 meters, too, at Salem High School in Salem, Virginia.
But the 6-foot-1, 210-pound freshman Tennessee running back hasn’t turned heads during fall camp just because of his speed. There’s more — much more — to him than that.
“I think when you settle down and look at Peyton,” first-year Tennessee running backs coach De’Rail Sims said this week, “you look at, number one, how big he is when he puts the shoulder pads on. He looks like a grown man.”
Peyton Lewis: 2024 four-star RB, ranked No. 64 overall in On3 Ratings
Number two, of course, was the speed.
“You see the explosive characteristics that he has about him,” Sims continued. “He’s able to break tackles and continue to go … but then at the same time, when he’s able to get an open field, he’s the guy that taking the distance.”
He’s even passing the test in pass protection, despite his rookie tag.
“He’s not scared to put his face on people in pass protection,” Sims said. “That’s the number one deal that you see from a young guy. Sometimes it’s not necessarily how physical they’re going to be and understanding where to go. But he’s physical, he’ll go put his face on people.
“Then at the same time, he knows what to do. So he’s done a really good job from that standpoint.”
Lewis during fall camp made his debut on the practice field. He underwent shoulder surgery after enrolling at Tennessee in January, sidelining him for spring practice in March and April.
‘He’s gotten better, more comfortable absolutely every single day’
Lewis was a four-star prospect in the 2024 recruiting class out of Salem High School in Salem, Va. He was ranked No. 64 overall in the On3 Ratings, ranked as the No. 4 running back in the country and the No. 2 prospect in the state of Virginia.
He’ll be relied on as a freshman to provide important depth at running back. Junior Dylan Sampson takes over as the starter, replacing Jaylen Wright, while Lewis, sophomore Cam Seldon and redshirt freshman DeSean Bishop are the names backing up Sampson in a Tennessee offense that has routinely used three backs over the last three years.
“He’s gotten better, more comfortable absolutely every single day,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said last week.
