Lewis could play on both sides

Saint Augustine (Fla.) St. Augustine three-star safety Carlton Lewis is doing everything he can to help his team out. The 6-foot-3, 190-pounder has been playing on both sides of the ball in hopes of helping his team perform better and come away with victories.

"I think we had a few injuries going into our last game, but I think when everybody gets healthy we're going to give it a good run to state," Lewis, the No. 57 safety in the nation, said.

"I'm playing safety and receiver. It doesn't matter where I play, I like receiver and I like safety, too. At receiver, I like having the chance to get the ball in my hands and make a play. At safety, I just like having a chance to hit somebody instead of getting hit."

Some schools like him on offense and some like him on defense. He has offers from Georgia Tech, Illinois, South Carolina, USF, Wake Forest, Marshall and several others.

"South Carolina wants me as a receiver, others see me as a safety," he said. "So far in September, I've heard from Georgia Tech, South Florida, South Carolina, Clemson, Wake Forest and Illinois. Those are the main schools.

"I'll take visits to Wake Forest, South Carolina, Clemson, Georgia Tech, and either Illinois or South Florida. Clemson hasn't offered, but the coach wanted to meet me to offer me. Other than that, the other teams have offered me already."

Lewis said he's close to lining up visits.

I'm in the process of setting one up with Illinois, and I'm going to Western Kentucky November 10th," he said. "That's going to be an official. Our quarterback went there last year. He was my neighbor, so we were close. All of the schools recruiting me are playing good right now and recruiting me hard so there's nothing to really separate any school from another school. Everybody is pretty even right now.

"I'll be looking for feeling comfortable around players as well as the coaching staff. Also, I need see myself playing for them and have a good idea where I would be on the team. Good facilities are important, too."

Lewis hopes to have a decision around the start of the new year.

"Hopefully I'll make a commitment before December, if not November," he said. "I'll take my visits and then make a decision as soon as I'm finished with those. It would be good to play at a big time school, but it won't be a deciding factor. I think the bigger factor would be me seeing how I can contribute to the team. If there's no need for my position then it'll probably a deciding factor."