Who is Terrence Lewis and How Will He Help UCF Football?

The addition of Terrrence Lewis to the UCF Football roster means adding a multi-faceted linebacker that teams must prepare for on each down.

Brian Smith | Jan 3, 2022

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ORLANDO - The impact of Terrence Lewis coming to UCF will be felt as soon as he steps foot on the Bounce House turf. He’s an electric athlete that can play multiple roles for the UCF defense.

Had the pleasure of seeing him play live twice. Once in the 2019 Florida 5A State Title Game and then again in the Florida Junior All-Star Game. He dominated in both contests.

Originally from the Miami area before leaving the state to go play his freshman season for the Maryland Terrapins, Lewis has a unique upside that should allow him to make an impact right away. He had and continues to have a strong relationship with UCF Co-Defensive Coordinator and Linebackers Coach Travis Williams, and that's a major reason he's coming to Orlando.

Terrence Lewis

Vitals: 6’1”, 200-pounds

Position: Linebacker

High School/College: Opa-Locka (Fla.) Central / Maryland

Recruitment: Offers from programs across the country; originally committed to Tennessee before signing with Maryland. Some of the programs that offered would be Auburn, Florida, Alabama, LSU, Georgia, South Carolina, Missouri, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Oregon, Penn State, Michigan State, Utah, Syracuse, Florida State, UCF, Southern California, Miami, Michigan, Pittsburgh, Indiana, Louisville and Georgia Tech.

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— Tony Cummings (@UCF365) January 3, 2022

Frame

Built with a long set of arms, Lewis is all muscle. He’s never going to be the biggest linebacker. What he does provide is a frame to get up to about 215 to 225-pounds. His speed and athleticism allow him to play at this size unlike most players that would not be able to handle the pounding of being a linebacker at his current weight.

Athleticism

It would be hard to find a more explosive linebacker in any recent recruiting class. First-step quickness will be the best that’s ever been at UCF (think Florida State circa mid-1990s or Miami early 2000s). Ability to bend and change directions on a dime is remarkable. For his size, Lewis is a thumper, too. He packs quite a punch as a hitter.

Lateral Pursuit

This will become quite obvious during his first actual game at UCF, but Lewis’s ability to chase down plays laterally will be jaw dropping. He runs like a cornerback and will make tackles when a speedy running back has the angle and still get to him and bring that running back down. Raw talent!

Effort

Point blank, this is a player that goes 100 mph all the time. As noted within the pursuit category, it will be obvious from game No. 1 in a UCF uniform.

Best Attribute: Blitzing

His penchant for finding a gap and shooting through it to disrupt the play is well known to scouts, coaches, players and fans that watched him or played against him. The most impactful thing that Lewis does is blitz. He times his take off extremely well when getting after the quarterback and he finishes the play in the backfield.

Position Fit

Weak side linebacker makes the most sense because Lewis can utilize his speed to chase down plays while not taking on quite as many offensive linemen in the process. He could also play some nickel linebacker and even be the hybrid linebacker, i.e. “The Knight” position that Bryson Armstrong played this past season for UCF.

Injury Recovery

On March 30, 2021, it was reported that Lewis suffered an ACL injury. Where he’s at with his recovery and how well he feels will not be truly known until UCF’s 2022 spring practice begins.

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