Recruitÿ Snapshot: Dylan Lewis
The 2024 high school football season started with a bang in the state of Georgia, where the two top ranked teams in the state, Milton and Buford, squared off in week one. This marquee match up showcased one of the most impressive collections of talent likely to be seen anywhere in the nation in 2024. Tennessee Volunteer fans had more reason to keep an eye on this contest, as it featured a trio of athletes committed to the Big Orange. One of which, Dylan Lewis, was the first commitment the Vols added in their 2025 class, a class which now appears likely to end up in the top five nationally.
It is easy to love the film on the 6 foot tall, 185 pound corner out of Milton. It was easy to love what Lewis did on the field a year ago, when YHSS was on hand to evaluate him as a junior. One game into his senior campaign, and it appears that Lewis has built upon everything he showed as a junior. Lewis is simply a defensive back with no holes in his game. His physicality separates him from other corners, but there is simply nothing in his film that gives a cause for concern. Players that coaches don’t have to worry about tend to find the field early, and Lewis gives the Vols a complete corner that should earn the staff’s trust quickly at a need position.
When in coverage, Lewis is a smooth athlete that does an excellent job staying in phase with opposing receivers. Against Buford, Lewis took very aggressive positioning, daring the Wolves to throw at him. The second half was played in the rain after a two hour lightning delay, and Lewis continued to menace the throwing lanes, while aggressively supporting the run. Lewis and Redmond as a duo left Buford hesitant to even attempt many passes, such was the respect for the pair of Eagles corners.
In two evaluations live, it has been the physicality of Lewis that stands out the most. Against a Buford team brimming with talented skill position players, the threat of throwing the ball against Lewis and fellow Tennessee pledge Tyler Redmond saw the Wolves lean heavily on their hydra-headed rushing attack. Where many corners will see this as their job mostly done, Lewis stepped up as a willing and effective run defender. Lewis stepped up to make tackles on fellow Tennessee commit Justin Baker, Louisville commit Ethan Allen, and Florida Atlantic commit Ethan Ervin. Baker, in particular, is a very physical back, and Lewis met and tackled him more than once. Lewis showed he was willing and able to engage and shed blockers to set the edge and make tackles, helping contain a potent Buford ground game.
Lewis shows that he has the speed to cover any receiver he is asked to. While Lewis doesn’t have elite speed, his speed and technique allow him to be confident against FBS caliber receivers. Paired with his physicality, the ability to jam receivers and disrupt their routes, Lewis is a polished product at corner that can play any type of coverage Tim Banks and Willie Martinez will ask him to at the next level.
Dylan Lewis is heading to Tennessee when corner is going to he a need for the Vols. This staff has built an entire top tier recruiting class around Lewis, after he was the all-important first player to get in the boat. Lewis was the first in the 2025 class to buy what Heupel and the Vols were selling, and he typifies what this staff wanted. A player with no holes in their game, that can do it all, that has the experience and intelligence to thrive early, and impressive film against good competition. Lewis is a young man that looked like a gem for the Vols last year, and he has built upon that and improved for his senior campaign.
