Jonathan Lewis

Catching up on his stats: Lewis is 6-2, 290, runs a 4.8 forty and is ranked the #5 player in the state of Virginia by Doug Doughty. Rivals100.com ranks him as a four-star player and the #13 defensive tackle in the country. He is the brother of current Virginia Tech defensive tackle Kevin Lewis.

With the Hokies losing five defensive tackles to graduation after this season (Pugh, Beasley, Wilkinson, Reed, Monroe), defensive tackle has become a critical spot for recruiting this year. It is said that the Hokie coaches have tabbed Lewis as their #1 recruiting target, bar none.

Lewis has scheduled his five official visits: Penn State (11/16), Virginia Tech (12/7), Miami, Fla. (12/14), Florida State (1/11/02), and Virginia (1/18). He wants to take all five visits before deciding, and he will probably make his announcement in late January/early February. Hokie fans will recall that last year, Varina QB Mike Robinson made his announcement (he picked Penn State) on February 2nd and nearly brought the TechSideline.com message board to its knees.

"I think about February," Lewis said when asked about his decision date. "Mike (Robinson) waited until February. I'm not as flashy as Mike," he laughed, "so maybe I'll go a little earlier."

The monstrous Lewis, a product of Varina's tough strength and conditioning program, is a rarity: a lineman who could play as a true freshman. The problem is, the Hokies aren't the only team telling him that. We asked him which school he thought offered the best opportunity for early playing time.

"UVa, probably. They're talking about me potentially starting (as a true freshman), but Tech was saying that, too, or at least to be in the two-deep rotation as a true freshman. That's something I dream about. If I am able to step in as a true freshman, that's great, and I'm going to be happy, but if I'm not able to step in as a true freshman, that's something I can understand also."

Academics will not play a major part in Lewis' decision, but not because he doesn't care about academics. "I'm going to major in History, and everybody that I'm looking at has a good History program. I'm looking into some good schools -- Virginia Tech, UVa, Penn State, Miami of Florida -- those are all good schools, education-wise. If I get a degree from any of those five schools, I can do a lot with it." That opinion may change once recruiters talk to him about their academic programs, but for now, there's not a clear-cut favorite academically.

When asked if he had a childhood favorite football team, Lewis replied, "As far as pro teams go, I liked the 49ers. Kevin, he was a Notre Dame fan, so I guess I liked Notre Dame, too. He (Kevin) probably wanted to go to Notre Dame coming out of high school."

Varina plays against James River tonight in the VHSL playoffs, and Lewis is leaving in the morning to go look at Penn State. When asked to name his favorite as his visits get ready to start, Lewis said, "If it all stopped right now, it would have to be Virginia Tech. I've been to Virginia Tech the most. The two schools I've seen are Virginia and Virginia Tech, and I've been to Virginia Tech the most. So as it stands now, I’m leaning towards Virginia Tech before I take my visits."

The full text of the half-hour interview with Jonathan Lewis will appear in TSL Extra #13, which comes out next Tuesday. The interview gives great insight into what Lewis thinks about the coaches and schools who are recruiting him, and what's important to him when it comes to making his decision. If you're not a TSL Extra subscriber, click here to sign up -- you'll not only get a year's subscription for $24.95, but you'll get access to all the back issues, as well.

To view the TSL recruiting database entry for Jonathan Lewis, click here.

This Week's Game:
The Hokies will take on the Virginia Cavaliers in Charlottesville, Saturday at 3:30. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
Click here to read TSL's game preview, including our score prediction.
Click here to download a roster card in PDF format.

Football Injury outlook for the UVa game:
Starting offensive tackle Matt Wincek is the biggest concern (knee). He probably won't play, and he may even be facing surgery. The staff might decide to operate after the Virginia game and get him ready for the bowl game, meaning that he'll miss the Miami showdown. Jarrett Ferguson, Jake Houseright, and David Pugh all look good for Saturday, although Pugh was sick to his stomach during Thursday's practice, and the staff is concerned that he may have a flu bug or something similar.

TSL Features This Week:
TSLX Spotlight: VT's Own "Rudy" - by Cary Whaley, 11/12/01
Hokie Hotline Notes -- 11/13/01
Beerman's Picks -- 11/14/01
Weekend Rooting Guide -- 11/15/01

The TSL Extra is a monthly e-publication produced by TechSideline.com that you can read on-line or download as an Adobe PDF. The cost for a one-year subscription is only $24.95, and it includes access to all back issues, plus a 10% discount on purchases at TechLocker.com!