Former Wisconsin wide receiver transfers to a top SEC program

Big-time commitment for a former Wisconsin wide receiver

Former Wisconsin wide receiver Keontez Lewis committed to Oklahoma on Wednesday.

The former Badger spent the 2024 season at Southern Illinois. He joins the Sooners with one year of eligibility remaining.

Related: Wisconsin football 2024 transfer portal departure tracker

Lewis transferred to the Badgers in 2022 after his freshman season at UCLA. He flashed significant playmaking ability as one of the team’s primary outside wide receivers that season, catching 20 passes for 313 yards and three touchdowns. His best game was a three-catch, 71-yard, one-touchdown outing against rival Iowa.

Lewis then fell down the depth chart entering the 2023 season after the arrival of Phil Longo and a host of transfer receivers. He played in just one game that season, catching one pass for 12 yards. The 6’2″ wideout reentered the portal after the team’s Week 2 loss to Washington State.

The tide turned for Lewis in his one year at Southern Illinois. He led the Salukis with 49 catches, 790 receiving yards and five touchdowns, plus aded 10 carries, 121 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown.

His best outing was a nine-touch (eight receptions, one carry), 205-yard (148 receiving, 57 rushing), two-touchdown breakout in a narrow win over Incarnate Word. He nearly broke single-game records with the performance.

Lewis entered the portal for a third time after the season concluded. He is now en route to Norman, Oklahoma to help a program that went just 6-6 in its first year in the SEC. Despite the down year, the Sooners remain one of the sport’s blue blood programs. This commitment is a significant step forward for Lewis after one year at the Football Championship Subdivision level.

Wisconsin, meanwhile, recently landed Ohio State transfer Jayden Ballard to bolster its wide receiving corps. The team lost Bryson Green (eligibility), C.J. Williams (portal) and Will Pauling (portal) after the 2024 season. The position remains one to watch as the Badgers continue their transfer recruiting.

Lewis is one of several former Badger receivers to watch at new destinations in 2025, especially as the program rebuilds at the position. For more on others, bookmark our transfer departure tracker.

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