Tag: Aaron Lewis

An experienced (and loaded) defense is set to lead the way for Rutgers football

Greg Schiano believes in the core of his Rutgers football defense.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — The strength of Rutgers football projects to be their defense. It is evidence, head coach Greg Schiano said, of his team’s improved depth on both sides of the ball.

Or as Schiano likes to refer to, a sign that his pipeline is beginning to flow.

With Rutgers set to enter a fourth season under Schiano, the program is finally starting to see the benefits of a rebuild two-deep and several solid recruiting classes. The defense Schiano inherited four years ago was light years ahead of the offense.

That defense has matured over the years and should be a top five unit in the Big Ten this year. It is a group of older players who have developed over he last three years and now lead he defense.

“There’s several of them and it’s nice,” Schiano said.

“I look at it as a pipeline. They are not all the way to the end of the pipeline but they are getting close. We have some guys that came in here, a guy like Aaron Lewis, came in here at 6-5, 212 pounds and now he’s 6-5, 262 pounds. That’s a pretty big jump, right?”

Schiano also pointed to a number of other veteran players including linebackers Tyreem Powell and Deion Jennings as well as secondary standouts Robert Longerbeam and Max Melton. These are players who Schiano sees as examples for what he has consistently called a “developmental program” at Rutgers.

“You play that out over a bunch of guys: Powell, Jennings, you just go down, Robert Longerbeam, Max Melton. Now they are all starting to become grown ups,” Schiano said.

“Are they at that full development stage? Not yet but it’s getting closer and closer. It’s been my experience when you get the guys on the back end of that pipeline if they are really working the way these guys are, that they are going to play well, so I expect them to play well and we need them to play well to win.”

If the defense can perform as a top-five unit in the Big Ten, then this team has a chance to be bowl-eligible. On Tuesday, Schiano said that he has seen his offensive line improve and develop this offseason as a unit.

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What Rutgers player has a future in broadcasting? ESPN’s Pete Thamel makes a prediction

ESPN College GameDay podcast predicts one Rutgers football player goes into broadcasting.

Count ESPN analyst Pete Thamel among those who thinks that Rutgers football defensive lineman Aaron Lewis has the chance to be an impact players this upcoming season. But Thamel also thinks Lewis has a bright future in broadcasting as well.

In his breakdown of the upcoming Rutgers season, Thamel told Rece Davis on the ESPN College GameDay podcast that Lewis also has the potential to be a fantastic personality off the football field. Specifically, Thamel said that Lewis could transition from the playing field to the broadcasting booth given his personality.

Here is what Thamel had to say about Lewis during his appearance on the ESPN podcast:

“And the best player on their roster is Aaron Lewis the defensive end. I think he’s a draft pick,” Thamel said.

“He’s a bell cow. He was at Big Ten Media Days. He’s definitely going to work in our business when his NFL career is done. He was an outlandish personality in a very good good-natured way.”

Lewis has become a bit of a media darling, and Pro Football Focus has become enamored with him and his production. Lewis was the only Rutgers player named to the analytic site’s preseason All-Big Ten team.

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In 2022, Lewis had 54 tackles and 1.5 sacks as well as a forced fumble for Rutgers.

Thamel was a bit bullish on Rutgers in terms of his season outlook, going so far as to say that the Scarlet Knights could well exceed their projected win total.

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Rutgers football: Using ‘one word,’ how did Aaron Lewis describe Greg Schiano at Big Ten Media Days?

Aaron Lewis was serious – and had some fun – at Big Ten Media Days when describing head coach Greg Schiano.

Aaron Lewis didn’t play by the rules of the game at Big Ten Media Days, but he got the message across about Rutgers football head coach Greg Schiano.

During last week’s Big Ten Media Days, Lewis was asked by Adam Breneman to describe his head coach in one word. A former Penn State tight end, Breneman now works for the Big Ten Network as an analyst.

Primed for a breakout season, Lewis had 54 tackles and 1.5 sacks as well as a forced fumble last season for Rutgers. He was the only Rutgers player named to an All-Big Ten team by PFF.

Lewis was one of several players that Breneman interviewed during the media event. He answered the question: “Describe coach Schiano with one word.”

“Tough,” Lewis said. “Oh, no no no no. Italian.”

 

This leads one to wonder if Schiano does in fact know how to fist-pump. Does he ‘GTL’ before the weekend? What’s his favorite episode of ‘The Sopranos’?

And can he say ‘gabagool’ better than Michael Scott?

Breneman asked a number of players around the Big Ten about their head coaches, getting varied responses. Some were serious, some were lighthearted like Lewis.

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Breneman is a rising star of the broadcasting ranks. This past summer, he sat down with coach Schiano for a thorough and revealing interview.

The interview was well worth the watch.

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Rutgers Aaron Lewis gets a shoutout from 247Sports’ Josh Pate

While covering Big Ten media day, 247Sports podcaster Josh Pate praised Rutgers 2023 Preseason All-Big Ten member Aaron Lewis.

Josh Pate is on the Aaron Lewis hype train, the 247Sports analyst believing that the Rutgers football defensive end is poised for a big season.

On Wednesday, the Big Ten Media Days began, with Rutgers football head coach Greg Schiano being one of the first coaches to speak about the upcoming 2023 season. But it was Lewis who also made a big impression to the national media present in Indianapolis.

While covering Big Ten media day, Pate, a 247Sports podcaster and CBS Sports analyst, had nothing but praise for the 2023 Preseason All-Big Ten member Aaron Lewis. Pate, the host of Late Kick Extra Podcast, caught up with the 6-foot-5, 250-pound edge rusher at the media day. The two touched upon the upcoming season and life after college football with lewis raving about the Rutgers standout:

“Aaron Lewis of Rutgers was my favorite player to talk to at Big Ten Media Days. Dane and he are the only people who commented on the blueness of my eyes the entire week and I appreciated it from him because he did it on camera. So I asked him, what do you want to do maybe after football? Then he said, I may love to get into media.”

Lewis, from Williamstown N.J., has an excellent work ethic and is a leader for the Scarlet Knights. Lewis figures to be one of the key players on this revamped and improved defense, looking to make an impact as he enters his third year with the Scarlet Knights.

Last season, Lewis had 54 tackles and 1.5 sacks as well as a forced fumble for Rutgers. He was the only Rutgers player named to an All-Big Ten team by PFF.

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What Rutgers football star made the PFF Preseason All Big Ten Team?

Aaron Lewis named to the preseason All-Big Ten list by Pro Football Focus.

Rutgers football projects to have a solid defense this year, one that can and should be one of the better units in the Big Ten. And defensive end Aaron Lewis figures to be one of the key players on this revamped and improved defense.

As such, Lewis was named to the 2023 Preseason All-Big Ten Team (defense) by Pro Football Focus (PFF). The 6-foot-5, 250-pound edge was quite the handful last season as a junior.

Last season while facing consistent double teams, Lewis had 54 tackles and 1.5 sacks as well as a forced fumble for Rutgers. He was the only Rutgers player named to an All-Big Ten team by PFF.

Lewis is entering his third season at Rutgers, having transferred from Michigan prior to the 2020 season.

 

Lewis figures to be a part of what should be a strong defense for Rutgers. Defensive back Max Melton projects as an NFL draft pick and is part of a Rutgers secondary that is long and athletic.

Linebacker Tyreem Powell made a big developmental leap last year at Rutgers and finished with 70 tackles and three sacks.

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Rutgers football: Who was selected for Athlon Sports Preseason honors?

Rutgers football had five players selected to the Athlon Sports Preseason All-Big Ten teams. Which players received preseason honors?

Rutgers football had five players selected to the Athlon Sports Preseason All-Big Ten teams. Athlon Sports is a media outlet that offers predictions and expert analysis based on 2023 projections.

Athlon Sports selected the following Scarlet Knights to Preseason All-Big Ten teams:

  1. Aaron Lewis (DL) – Second Team
  2. Deion Jennings (LB) – Third Team
  3. Max Melton (DB) – Third Team
  4. Wesley Bailey (DL) – Fourth Team
  5. Hollin Pierce (OL) – Fourth Team

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#71 Aaron Lewis (DL)

Aaron Lewis from Williamstown, New Jersey, had a solid 2022 season on Rutgers’ defensive line. Lewis received Third Team All-Big Ten in the coaches’ vote, Phil Steele, and Pro Football Focus polls last season. He recorded 55 tackles with eight for loss and received Honorable Mention All-Big Ten (Media). Lewis went on to win the 2022 Co-Defensive MVP for the Scarlet Knights.

#17 Deion Jennings (LB)

Deion Jennings from Timber Creek High School in Sicklerville, New Jersey, got selected Honorable Mention All-Big Ten (Media) in 2022. Jennings recorded a team-high 91 tackles and 8.5 tackles for loss last season. He averaged 8.3 tackles per game, ranking him seventh in the Big Ten. For his efforts last season, Jennings got rewarded with the 2022 Homer Hazel Award and the 2022 Douglas A. Smith Second Effort Award.

#16 Max Melton (DB)

Max Melton from Cedar Creek High School in Mays Landing, New Jersey, was selected for the 2022 Fourth Team All-Big Ten (Phil Steele). Also, he received Honorable Mention All-Big Ten (Coaches & Media) in 2022. Last season, he contributed on defense and special teams, logging ten pass breakups, two interceptions, 33 tackles, and a nation-leading three blocked punts.

#23 Wesley Bailey (DL)

Wesley Bailey, Canadian Native from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, recorded 30 tackles with eight for loss last season. He logged 12 starts at defensive end, recording a team-high 3.5 sacks. Also, Bailey led the Big Ten with three fumble recoveries. For his effort last season, Bailey received the 2022 David Bender Award.

#72 Hollin Pierce (OL)

Hollin Pierce from Trenton Central High School in Trenton, New Jersey, started 24 games over the past two seasons. In 2022, Pierce was a candidate for the Burlsworth Trophy. The Burlsworth Trophy is an award for the most outstanding football player who began a career as a walk-on. Also, he received Academic All-Big Ten honors in 2022.

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Aaron Lewis placed in elite company

Aaron Lewis has had an impressive season for Rutgers footballand recently received special recognition from PFF

So far, this season has been full of ups and downs for Rutgers football. However, one player who has been a bright spot is Aaron Lewis. The sophomore defensive lineman has 34 tackles and was placed in elite company by Pro Football Focus College.

According to the data and analytics company, Lewis is one of the only two edge rushers with an 80-plus pass and rush grade this season. Alabama’s Will Anderson Jr. was the only other player to receive a grade in that range.

While Lewis has seen his stock rise, he is in the midst of his best season at Rutgers. The Williamstown, N.J. native has a career-high 34 total tackles, including 16 solo tackles. He also has added one sack to his resume. His impressive play continued last weekend.

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On Saturday, the Scarlet Knights faced the Golden Gophers in a Big Ten matchup that ended 31-0 in favor of the Golden Gophers. As the Rutgers defense struggled, Lewis had nine tackles, the fourth most on the team. He also had one for a loss.

With only four games left in the regular season, Lewis is preparing to put an impressive 2022 campaign in the books. He has never appeared in more than 12 games in a season but is poised to break that mark, assuming he stays healthy. Over the last few months, he has created excitement for what 2023 will bring.

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Rutgers Football 2022 Preview: Defensive Line

Rutgers Wire continues their 2022 Rutgers football season preview by taking a look at the defensive line

The college football regular season has officially begun, and Rutgers has their first game scheduled for just under a week from now. That mean it is time to get ready for Rutgers football. The Scarlet Knights are looking to improve over their 5-8 record from the 2021 season. Despite their record, they were selected as a replacement team for a bowl game last season. They stepped in for Texas A&M in the Gator Bowl, in a losing effort against Wake Forest. Head coach Greg Schiano was happy his team got the opportunity, but they will be looking to earn a bowl game bid outright this season.

Rutgers is still attempting to find its place in the Big Ten. The Scarlet Knights have not finished the year with a winning record since 2014 – their first season in the conference. If there is one thing that people know about Big Ten play is the intense battles in the trenches is where games are won or lost. This is Schiano’s third season since returning for a second stint with the program and he wants to continue to build the strength of his units on the inside.

Let’s break down how the Scarlet Knights look along the defensive line going into the 2022 season.

The Scarlet Knights have a good portion of their defensive line from last year returning this season. Greg Schiano has also bolstered the defensive line by making the position a priority when it comes to recruiting. Although some of the players may be familiar, the coaches room looks very different. Both defensive coordinator Joe Harasymiak and defensive line coach Marquise Watson are in their first year with the program.

Catch up on Rutgers Wire’s preview series here:

Quarterbacks | Running Backs | Wide Receivers | Offensive Line

Watson is in the first year of his second stint with the program, previously working as a defensive assistant back in 2018.

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Last season, the defensive line produced what was possibly the best position group on the team. Looking ahead to this season, they will need help to improve after some players left and a key injury cut out some hope for the group. The players brought in to bolster the line have looked strong in camp but overall, they are a smaller, younger line. The program will need some young players to step up if they want to add to some of the success from recent seasons.

The interior of the line will be anchored by seniors Mayan Ahanotu and Ifeanyi Maijeh. Ahanotu finished 2021 with 18 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, one sack, and a forced fumble. He is the only returning starter on the line after Mohamed Toure, the team’s sack leader over the last two years, underwent season-ending surgery after an injury sustained in spring. He was also named to the 2022 Wuerffel Trophy Watch List. Maijeh is in his second year with Rutgers after transferring from Temple. He started to come on towards the end of last year after getting past his own injury. The former Owl was named to the Shrine Bowl 1000. Maijeh finished last season with 19 total tackles, three for loss, 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble, two fumbles recovered, and even added a pass deflection.

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The defensive ends have a bit more youth. Sophomores Kyonte Hamilton, Aaron Lewis, and Wesley Bailey will be the main players on the edges. Hamilton started one game last season but appeared in all 13 contests and showed flashes of greatness on the field. He finished the year with 22 tackles – two for loss. One of those tackles behind the line of scrimmage even came in the Gator Bowl. He can line up as a defensive end or defensive tackle, providing versatility for the team. Hamilton was also part of the Rutgers wrestling team this past year which may have cut into his strength and conditioning for football itself, but shows his strength and athleticism are something to watch closely this year. He played the most of any freshman at Rutgers last season.

Lewis saw game time in 11 contests – seven of which he recorded multiple stops. The sophomore New Jersey native finished the 2021 campaign with 30 total tackles, three tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and a forced fumble. Lewis has shown flashes to be a strong defensive end, but lacked the overall strength needed to be one of the better ends in the Big Ten. A former Michigan commit, Lewis was a highly touted recruit and if the offseason strength and conditioning gave him that needed boost in strength, he could be the consistent pass rusher/run stopper that Rutgers has been looking for over the next few seasons.

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Bailey may see plenty of starts on the weak-side edge himself. He will look to build on a strong 2021 campaign that saw him finish with six tackles – including two assists in the Gator Bowl, one and a half for loss, and one sack across seven games. He focused on adding muscle this offseason, and he impressed coach Schiano during training camp:

“Wesley has stepped, you’ve seen him physically, right? He looks like a different guy. He’s 250-something-pounds,” Schiano said.

“He looks like a Big Ten end and he’s playing really, really hard and he’s playing really well. So, we need him to play that way.”

A few other players to keep your eye on in the defensive line rotation are Zaire Angoy, Henry Hughes Jr., and Keshon Griffin – all of whom were redshirted last year. All three student-athletes focused on strength and conditioning during their initial season with the Scarlet Knights and they add some much needed size to the interior line. There should not be mismatch issues in the trenches when it comes to size this year – a major issue in recent years.

Bottom line is, this group will have challenges – especially with the loss of Toure – but the main players have shown improvement each year with the Scarlet Knights and the improved strength and conditioning should help this group be an even strong unit for Rutgers in 2022.

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Outgoing Michigan football DE transfer destination revealed

The Wolverines 2020 signee’s new destination has been revealed.

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Aaron Lewis didn’t last long in Ann Arbor.

The 2020 signee from Williamstown (NJ) was an early-enrollee, but didn’t get the opportunity to suit up for spring football due to the coronavirus pandemic and opted to transfer before organized summer/fall workouts even had begun.

But now we know where’s he’s headed next: home.

While the decision to transfer came as a shock to many given that Lewis had barely gotten acclimated to the football program, it seems that his reasoning was that he wanted to be closer to the locale of his upbringing. He announced via Twitter on Monday that he’s going back to New Jersey, and he’s signing with Big Ten East foe Rutgers.

Lewis will have four years of eligibility, but it remains unclear whether he’ll be able to play right away.

He’s not the first Wolverine in recent memory to end up at the New Brunswick/Piscataway-based university. This offseason, Michigan defensive tackle Michael Dwumfour — also a New Jersey native — transferred to Rutgers for his fifth-year. Additionally, two years ago, Drew Singleton, a linebacker who played for Paramus (NJ) Catholic, also transferred to Rutgers, and played last season for the Scarlet Knights.

Former Michigan defensive end Ron Johnson, a Camden (NJ) native, initially transferred to Rutgers, but hadn’t graduated from the Wolverines on time, and ended up at Towson, where he spent most of the 2019 season injured.

Lewis committed to Michigan as part of 2019’s big week of pledges, as the Wolverines’ second of upwards of ten commitments in June of last year.

Michigan football true freshman in NCAA transfer portal

Without ever even putting on the maize and blue in earnest, the early-enrollee will seek an opportunity elsewhere.

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Well, that didn’t last long.

Just over a year ago, 2020 Williamstown (NJ) four-star defensive end Aaron Lewis was the second player to commit as part of a week-long recruiting extravaganza that saw the Wolverines reel in over ten commitments. Having flipped from West Virginia, Lewis was a big time get, with offers from Ohio State, Tennessee, Penn State, Nebraska, Miami (FL), Texas A&M and Wisconsin.

Rated the No. 10 strong-side defensive end in the country according to 247Sports’ proprietary rankings, Lewis enrolled early, reporting to campus in January of this year.

However, reports surfaced on Wednesday that Lewis’ tenure in Ann Arbor was already coming to an end, as he apparently entered his name into the NCAA transfer portal.

Lewis was recruited by the two Michigan coaches that departed this offseason, as primary recruiter Anthony Campanile left for the NFL and the Miami Dolphins while Chris Partridge became the new co-defensive coordinator at Ole Miss.

He’ll have a full four years of eligibility at his new school of choice.