‘Cool Cat’ Clarence Lewis Exceeded Expectations In 2020; Bring On 2021’s
OK, fine. Clarence Lewis’ inner circle, Brian Kelly and even Clarence Lewis himself will admit last season was a little surprising.
Lewis and those involved in his high school career at Middletown (N.J.) Mater Dei Prep foresaw a promising, high-impact career at Notre Dame despite his ranking as the nation’s No. 84 cornerback — below players who signed with Middle Tennessee, Western Michigan, Bowling Green and Cincinnati. They weren’t even ruling out a freshman role for him.
A week-one co-starter listing as a freshman, a comparison to Freshman All-American KeiVarae Russell, six starts at corner, 70 snaps in prime time against Clemson and a College Football Playoff start, though?
This was beyond the scope of their imaginations and (a little biased) prognostications.
But only slightly.
“We knew he was pretty smooth, he had good technique and he’s fearless,” said Dino Mangiero, Lewis’ coach at Mater Dei. “No one expected him to become a starter his freshman year, not at a school like Notre Dame.
“But when I really went back and thought about it, I wasn’t surprised. Nothing bothers him. He’s just a cool cat out there. Just the kind of guy who does his job.”
By doing so, by taking every challenge without breaking stride and keeping his usual composed, quiet demeanor, Lewis found himself climbing the depth chart in fall camp and ended the year as a stabilizer for a position that needed leveling. It didn’t matter he was one of the three lowest-rated signees in Notre Dame’s 2020 class, didn’t enroll early like the other two cornerbacks in it and started his college career in a pandemic-affected offseason.
All told, Lewis made 33 tackles (1.0 for loss) and broke up seven passes. No Notre Dame freshman made more progress last summer than he did. He was one of four first-years to claim notable roles on offense or defense for the Irish in 2020.
“I’d say I was a little surprised,” Lewis said. “I just didn’t know what to expect when I first got here. I just put my head down and went to work.”
You must be a member to read the full article. Subscribe now for instant access to all premium content.
-
Members-only forums
-
Predict prospect commits with FanFutureCast
-
Exclusive highlights and interviews
-
Exclusive coverage of Rivals Camp Series
-
Breaking recruiting news