The Tennessee Volunteers and head coach Josh Heupel landed a big-time commitment with four-star running back Peyton Lewis on Saturday afternoon.
The 6-foot-1, 190-pound back from Salem, Virginia chose Heupel and the Vols over Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Penn State, and South Carolina.
Lewis is the fifth-highest recruit in Tennessee’s 2024 class and the 12th commitment so far. Lewis also makes for the first player from the state of Virginia and the first running back commitment that Tennessee has in the class.
Peyton Lewis is as smooth as they come with the ball in his hands. As a running back in the modern era of football, Lewis has that extra bit of athleticism and elusiveness to his game that is so valuable in the sport today. Lewis also has a solid combination of size and power without compromising his speed, agility, and quickness. Some work with the Tennessee strength and conditioning coaches could really put Lewis on an expedited path to success with the Volunteers.
More from RTI: Four-Star Running Back Peyton Lewis Commits To Tennessee Football
“More of a one cut, downhill runner who gets to second level quickly,” 247 Sports National Recruiting Analyst Brian Dohn wrote in an evaluation. “Routinely out-runs high school defensive backs. Is difficult to arm tackle and does not go down on first contact often. Patient runner who is comfortable running between the tackles but has speed to bounce plays outside. Shows balance and is effective with stiff arm. Can gear down to hit gap and quickly accelerates to get through. Knows how to change pace and has burst to overcome angles.”
Here’s a look at some of Peyton Lewis’s work from the high school scene in Virginia during his junior season. It’s not hard to see that Lewis has that “hold-your-breath-cause-anything-could-happen” quality to his game, too.
