Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1143622
www.BLUEANDGOLD.com AUGUST 2019 35 BY MIKE SINGER During the spring evaluation pe- riod, Notre Dame expanded its de- fensive back board by offering sev- eral new prospects from coast to coast. The Fighting Irish coaching staff worked hard to get its first com- mitment in the secondary, and their efforts paid off in June. Middletown (N.J.) Mater Dei cor- nerback Clarence Lewis added an of- fer from the Irish May 4. Notre Dame defensive line coach Mike Elston visited Mater Dei in the spring to evaluate Lewis, which resulted in the three-star prospect adding the offer. Lewis was fired up when he heard the news that he landed an offer from the Fighting Irish. "That was huge for me," Lewis told Blue & Gold Illustrated. "I'm look- ing for a school that has great aca- demics and also great football. Notre Dame obviously has both." At that point, Lewis noted that he hoped to make a decision by the end of June. However, he had yet to visit Notre Dame, something he wanted to change. Notre Dame safeties coach Terry Joseph and Lewis set up an official visit for the 6-0, 180-pounder to check out South Bend June 7. The day after Lewis left Notre Dame to head back home from his visit, he announced his commitment to the Fighting Irish. "I figured out [that I wanted to commit] when I was there, but I didn't want to say anything," Lewis explained. "I wanted to talk to my family and my [high school] head coach. That's how it all went down." During his junior campaign, Lewis intercepted six passes and returned three for touchdowns. He also notched 31 tackles, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. In addition, he caught 21 passes for 411 yards and six scores as a wide receiver. Rivals ranks Lewis as a three-star prospect and the No. 21 player in New Jersey. Notre Dame is recruiting Lewis to play cornerback, but length and speed give him flexibility. With the 2020 class currently lack- ing a safety commitment, that versa- tility from a player like Lewis is in great demand. "[The Notre Dame staff] said mostly corner because of my length, how I play the ball, and how I can run," Lewis explained. "But honestly, I don't mind where I play at." Because of Notre Dame's high academic standards and reputation, it's often that recruit's mothers love Notre Dame. This was the case with Lewis' mother. She visited with him during the June official visit. "Notre Dame was her favorite school that we went and visited," Lewis noted. Lewis held Power Five offers from Nebraska, Virginia Tech, West Vir- ginia, Boston College, North Caro- lina State, Duke, Kentucky, Virginia, Minnesota, Purdue, Vanderbilt and Rutgers. He gave a close look especially to Nebraska, Duke and Purdue, and he was receiving a lot of interest from Michigan, but once Notre Dame got in the picture the Irish became the clear favorite to land his commitment. His official visit in June sealed the deal. "It was a great way to learn more about Notre Dame," Lewis said of his time in South Bend. "I actually loved the school. I learned a lot of new stuff, like how big they are on aca- demics and what happens after col- lege and the networking they have." Notre Dame's pedigree as an aca- demic institution and historic foot- ball program stood out to Lewis. He also loved that if he doesn't reach the NFL, then he will have great career choices ahead of him. "I liked the 'after football' part," he explained. "Football won't last forever so I like knowing the Notre Dame degree is really important." ✦ FILM ANALYSIS Strengths Notre Dame likes length at cornerback, and Clarence Lewis has plenty of that with a listed height of 6-0 … His arms are above average, which help him thrive at the line of scrim- mage and when the ball is in the air … Quality all-around athlete that shows impressive long speed, easy change of direction skills and good closing speed … Uses size to make a lot of plays on the ball and to handle himself quite well in the run game … Reads routes well and shows good instincts as a defender. Areas For Improvement Is a two-way player in high school so he gets by more on raw talent and athleticism than sound technique … Needs to improve his foot- work at the snap, which at times keeps him from making turns as efficiently as possible … Must be more patient at the line of scrimmage with his hands. — Bryan Driskell COMMITMENT PROFILE CLARENCE LEWIS New Jersey Defensive Back Selects Notre Dame Lewis — a 6-0, 180-pound cornerback — made 31 tackles and intercepted six passes (three of which he returned for touchdowns) during his junior season at Middletown (N.J.) Mater Dei. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM