Maryland Football: Rayshad Lewis brings versatility to the Terps

Rayshad Lewis is a dynamic player that comes from a football family with a tremendous pedigree.

On Monday, Lewis decided to bring his talents to College Park for his final three years of collegiate football.

Lewis, who is the son of former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, wasn’t recruited by any power five schools during his high school days. He ended up at Utah State where he had a very productive freshman season.

The Orlando native caught 40 passes for 476 yards and two touchdowns for the Aggies. Lewis also rushed for 110 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries.

Lewis appeared in all 12 games and starting seven of those contests. He had multiple receptions in all but three of those games.

During the first two games in October, Lewis recorded 14 receptions for 181 yards in losses against Boise State and Colorado State. He had seven catches for 82 yards against the Broncos on Oct. 1 and seven receptions for 99 yards against the Rams on Oct. 8.

Lewis may be small at 5’10/165 lbs., but he has a ton of talent and is incredibly versatile.

Due to his speed, Lewis is very effective in the slot. His speed allows him to get into open space and could be a huge asset to Maryland’s offense.

The comparison of Jacquille Veii immediately comes to mind based on similarities in both size (5’9/185 lbs.) and skillset. Veii also has the ability to run the ball out of the backfield while possessing the necessary hands to be a possession receiver in the slot.

For example, in Utah State’s game against Air Force last season, Lewis scored his first touchdown on a play that summarizes the kind of wideout that he is.

Quarterback Kent Myers dropped back out of the shotgun formation and found Lewis running a streak route. Lewis caught the ball in stride, turned on the afterburners, and blew by the defense for a 43-yard touchdown.

Lewis recorded three receptions for 52 yards in the 27-20 loss to the Falcons.

Considering D.J. Moore will be a senior at the start of the 2017 season, the addition of Lewis came at the right time. Taivon Jacobs and Veii will also be seniors and it’s currently unknown what Maryland has in the five freshman wideouts that were part of the 2017 recruiting class.

Lewis instantly brings the threat of a downfield option for the Terps. Offensive coordinator Walt Bell can line Lewis up in the backfield or in the slot, which is similar to how he will likely use Veii and DJ Turner this fall.

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Lewis wasn’t a heavily recruited player, but his pledge could play huge dividends down the road.