2012 LB has big upside

Class of 2012 linebacker Kaiwan Lewis has already picked up an offer from Rutgers so you can bet he will be a hotly pursued prospects over the course of the next year.

Fortunately for Lewis, he doesn't have to worry about the recruiting process too much at this point. He told Rivals.com that he isn't thinking about making a very early decision and would like to go through the process like most others do, even allowing things to perhaps drag on into his senior season at Hammonton (N.J.) St. Joseph, which will not begin for another year.

The 6-foot-2, 227-pound linebacker has good athleticism and is already a monster in the weight room. That's all going to continue to improve as he physically matures.

Rutgers was quick to evaluate Lewis and the Scarlet Knights were highly impressed with what they have seen.

"They offered me last Thursday," Lewis recalled. "They've been showing interest in me since my freshman year. They've been recruiting me and everything like that. They were always telling me they're going to be evaluating my film. They saw it and they think I'd be a good fit.

"They're recruiting me to play linebacker but they might have me play defensive end on some occasions. More linebacker though."

What does Lewis think about his home state school?

"I mean, I love the school and the whole program," he said. "They stay on top of their kids as far as their grades and staying in the classroom. I want to go somewhere I can stay focused and that seems like a place you can do that.

"The football program is really good. I went up there to see them practice and see if they were into it. I really liked it."

Rutgers isn't the only school that has been evaluating Lewis. Programs from all over the country are showing interest, so his stock could be ready to soar.

"Vanderbilt could possibly be my next offer," he noted. "They told me they like my tape but they have to go to another recruiting meeting with coach Caldwell, their interim coach. They'll go from there. They told me Rutgers will not be my last offer so I'm hoping that means something good will happen.

"There are a lot more schools like Penn State, Georgia, Temple, Northwestern, Georgia Tech and Florida. I talked to Florida once.

"This weekend I'm going down to South Carolina. They have a showcase with 80 of their top players. Most of them already have offers and they've said the rest of us that don't have offers are all potential offers.

"Hopefully I'll be able to go see Georgia while I'm down there. I talked to them last night and I'm definitely trying to get down there and get a feel for the coaches."

As a sophomore Lewis recorded 65 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and nine sacks.