Making The Case: Will it be Texas, TCU or Florida for Kennedy Lewis?
The Early Signing Period is rapidly approaching, leaving less than two months until most of the nation’s top prospects will sign their official letters-of-intent. With that in mind, several elite players have started to narrow down their lists and prepare for commitment announcements.
One of those players is three-star Texas wide receiver Kennedy Lewis, who is set to announce his decision on Friday.
Today, experts from the Rivals.com network examine where the playmaking prospect will land. The candidates are Florida, TCU and Texas.
THE SITUATION
A tall, rangy wide receiver, Lewis initially made a commitment to TCU back in June, choosing the Frogs over Texas Tech, Cal and others. At the time, it looked like he was going to shut down his recruitment, but various programs from around the country had other plans. He was targeted by Florida and Texas, among several other programs, and after a four-month commitment to the Horned Frogs, he reopened his commitment last month.
Will he jump back in with the Frogs, land with the Horns or leave the Lone Star State to head to Florida?
We asked our team experts to state the case for their respective programs and let National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell issue a verdict.
THE CASE FOR FLORIDA
“The Gators wasted no time extending an official offer once Aug. 1 kicked into gear, with Dan Mullen leading the charge and reaching out on a daily basis. Lewis has been intrigued by Mullen's resume, as well as UF's offense and the school's deal with Jordan, but it would be a major surprise if the Gators won out here.
"Lewis, a former TCU commit, has never visited the Swamp and is fresh off a pair of visits to the University of Texas as well. An official visit to Florida was under consideration, but I don't expect Lewis to leave his home state.“ – Cory Bender, GatorsTerritory.com
THE CASE FOR TCU
"The Frogs have the longest-standing relationship with Lewis out of his final three schools. TCU was the first of the group to offer him back on June 8, and he committed 11 days later. If he's looking for early playing time and a chance to get the ball a lot, TCU would be a great option. The Frogs have made a point of recruiting tons of athletic receivers over the last five years, and most of those wideouts get on the field early and often. Just look at Jalen Reagor in 2017 or Taye Barber this season.
However, Lewis decommitted from TCU just days after receiving an offer from Texas, and the Longhorns have been considered the front-runner ever since. It would definitely be an upset if the Frogs were able to land his commitment once again." – Matthew Jennings, PurpleMenace.com
THE CASE FOR TEXAS
“The timing of this one sure looks good for Texas, as do the signs if you're reading between the lines. Lewis took an official visit to Texas and then decommitted from TCU a couple days later. He visited Texas unofficially last weekend for the West Virginia game and told us it was a great visit. Now he's ready to decide.
"Texas, TCU and Florida are the finalists and Texas makes the most sense. It's not often that a player decommits from a school, only to recommit a few weeks later. And Lewis has never visited Florida, so that would appear to be a longshot as well.
"Texas has had success with big receivers this year, and Lewis feels he could help the offense in a way similar to what Lil'Jordan Humphrey and/or Collin Johnson have done this year.” – Jason Suchomel, Orangebloods.com
THE VERDICT
"I think Lewis ends up at Texas. Texas has had the edge ever since his decommitment from TCU, and the Longhorns have made him feel like he’s part of the family and would fit in as a big receiver in their offense.” - Mike Farrell, National Recruiting Director