TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The official announcement will not be made until January 2, 2021 during an All-American Bowl presentation, but Miami (Fla.) Miami Central top 100 linebacker Terrence Lewis will officially sign this weekend.
He is planning to be an early enrollee, so he will be in College Park or Knoxville in the coming weeks. Auburn is out he said, and it, like his cleats in the state championship game said, is down to Maryland and Tennessee.
"It has been tough for me," said Lewis. "Before the game, I was still thinking about things and making sure. It is a long process for sure, but I will be ready when it is time to announce it. It has been a lot for me to think about, and it truly has been a process for me and my family, but that time is coming."
Lewis was committed to Tennessee for exactly seven months before he re-opened his recruitment November 30. The Vols did not go away though.
Jeremy Pruitt and his staff in Knoxville recruited the top 10 Sunshine State talent when some others may not have pursued as hard, and over that time he connected with Brian Niedermeyer.
That relationship has kept the Vols very much in this after he decided to take a step back to re-evaluate his future.
"Coach Niedermeyer is my main man. He has been recruiting me for a long time and we have a great relationship. He has recruited me through everything, so we have been through a lot. The relationship we have is strong and that has kept Tennessee up there for me."
Auburn was viewed as the front runner after he and his mother tripped to the Plains late last month. Then Gus Malzahn was let go and the Tigers went through the Early Signing Period without a head coach.
With Malzahn's dismissal, Lewis eliminated the Tigers, and Maryland is the other finalist. The Terrapins kind of snuck into this race quietly, but there is a coach on that staff that Lewis connects with.
"Coach B-Will (Brian Williams) is my guy at Maryland. He is from south Florida, he feels me, and he is someone I feel could look out for me on the next level. He knows me, who I am and where I come from, so once I started to talking to him, that really pushed Maryland up there."
Now, we will wait for Lewis to reveal who he has signed with. It comes on the second day of the new year, and like everyone else, Lewis is looking forward to 2021.
It may sound simple, but to Lewis, it is real, and his decision came down to who he feels will look after him best.
"It is all about who I felt would have my back and be there for me," said Lewis. "Somewhere and someone I felt comfortable being around played into the decision for me.
"Trust is huge for me too. I have to trust someone out there to take care of me, and that is what it will really come down to. I have to feel good about that coach, and feel like he will have my back, look out for me and help me when I get to school."
