OU 2010 Players to Watch, Day 14: Ronnell Lewis

Oklahoma Sports brings you the 14th day in a 15-part series detailing the players to keep an eye on next season.

Thursday, May 26th 2011, 11:31 am

By: News On 6

OU 2010 Players to Watch, Day 14: Ronnell Lewis

Originally Published: Feb 28, 2010 4:14 PM CDT

More on Oklahoma Sports:
-OSU Player to Watch, Day 14: Jamie Blatnick
-Tulsa Player to Watch, Day 14: Jacob Bower

Corey DeMoss
Oklahoma Sports Staff Writer

LB Ronnell Lewis

Background:

From Dewar High School, Lewis was one of the most prized 2009 recruits in the state of Oklahoma. ESPN, Rivals.com and Scout.com all rated him among the top 10 outside linebackers in the nation. He was a unanimous first-team all-state selection on both sides of the ball after recording 156 tackles and rushing for 2,219 yards and 33 touchdowns in the same season. Playing predominantly on special teams as a true freshman last season, he recorded 22 tackles, forced two fumbles and recovered one.

Why he’s on the list:

Bob Stoops has hyped Lewis more than perhaps any other player on the team. Stoops has praised his athleticism, quickness, awareness and work ethic and has never said a negative word about him. With the graduation of Keenan Clayton, Lewis will now have an opportunity to prove why his coach has been so enamored with him.

Best-case scenario:

Lewis becomes a game changing outside linebacker. His athleticism and quickness allow him to dominate against the run and be a disruptive pass rusher in blitzes. He is able to cover a lot of ground very quickly, which helps limit the options of opposing offenses. The overall talent of the linebacker corps makes long and extended drives difficult to achieve.

Worst-case scenario:

Lewis relies too much on his athleticism and regularly overruns plays, allowing running backs to cut back into the middle of the field. He is unable to anticipate plays and react effectively, which also provides extra running room to opposing offenses.

My take:

Lewis is one of the most promising recruits in recent memory. He is an ideal combination of size, strength and speed and should be the perfect complement to Travis Lewis on the other side of the defense. The addition of new middle linebacker Tom Wort could make this year’s linebacker corps one of the best in recent memory for the Sooners.

When Bob Stoops talks about Ronnell Lewis, he becomes visibly excited about the linebacker’s potential. There is an incredible amount of excitement surrounding Lewis’ emergence and, barring injury, he should become a staple in the defense until he leaves for the NFL.

Other players to watch (click on the names below to read the full stories)
Day 1: WR Jaz Reynolds
Day 2: OL Stephen Good
Day 3: S Sam Proctor
Day 4: CB Jonathan Nelson
Day 5: OL Tyler Evans
Day 6: RB Jermie Calhoun
Day 7: QB Drew Allen
Day 8: DT Jamarkus McFarland
Day 9: OL Ben Habern
Day 10: LB Tom Wort
Day 11: WR Dejuan Miller
Day 12: OL Donald Stephenson
Day 13: CB Demotre Hurst