Time will tell if Tennessee running back Peyton Lewis will be ready for the running back rigors of college football. So far, the freshman sounds ready.
Lewis has already declared he was healthy after a pelvis and shoulder injury. Now, he’s just trying to perfect his game, which should benefit from him participating in spring practice.
“I would say it’s day-by-day,” Lewis said when asked about preseason camp. “Everything takes a process. Mistakes happen in order for you to learn. I think that’s been a big part of me, especially being a young guy, but I’m also trying my best not to be a young guy. I feel like during the spring is really the time…I could take everything mental in and not do everything as physical and now that I’m here in fall camp, I’ve got a lot of the mental stuff down and I’m able to do a lot of physical stuff. I guess it’s putting everything together (and) everything is moving smoothly.”
Smoothly is what the Vols are hoping for in their tailback transition from last season in which they lost starters Jaylen Wright and Jabari Small. Now, the Vols’ starter will be Dylan Sampson. The question is just who will pick up the slack when Sampson needs a break. Lewis and sophomore Cameron Seldon are the most likely candidates. Seldon was injured during spring practice so he may not be 100-percent during camp and perhaps limited this season.
Some have argued it’s easier to make the transition from high school to college at running back more than any other position. In Tennessee’s offense, especially this season, that’s debatable. In order to play, Lewis will have to nearly perfect pass blocking with star quarterback Nico Iamaleava in the lineup. Lewis said he’s ready for the physical aspect of pass blocking. It’s the mental aspect that’s still challenging.
“I would say it is more mental for sure because physically anyone can go out there and do it,” Lewis said. “But as far as knowing where you need to be, knowing where I need to be in this time – getting everything down mentally – I think that’s more important than going out there physically and trying to put your body in front of somebody.”
That doesn’t sound like a freshman. It sounds like someone that’s ready to play.
