Former 4-star recruit who left Tennessee because he said he wasn’t a fit in the Vols’ offense has uninspiring debut with new team in Week 0
A former Tennessee Volunteers running back got off to a tough start with his new team in Week 0 of the college football season.
A former Tennessee Vols running back had an uninspiring debut with his new team on Saturday.
Former Vols running back Peyton Lewis transferred from Tennessee to Virginia in January.
Lewis, who spent the first two seasons of his career with the Volunteers, made his debut for the Cavaliers on Saturday in a Week 0 matchup against NC State.
Virginia won the game 34-8, but Lewis didn’t have a big game, rushing for just 10 yards on six carries.
Six players received carries for Virginia and Lewis had the lowest yards per carry of the group (1.7 yards per carry).
Why did Peyton Lewis leave Tennessee for Virginia?
Lewis said earlier this year that he left Tennessee in large part because he felt he wasn’t a fit in Tennessee’s offense.
“With my seasons at Tennessee, there were a lot of opportunities for goal line touchdowns,” said Lewis in February. “I wish I had more [opportunities] in the open field. I don’t think I fit too well within that system. I went searching for any type of system where I could apply my skills. I think it was the best decision for me.”
“I like to get in space, and I like to work my craft and move,” added Lewis. “And I feel like when I was at Tennessee, I wasn’t able to really do that as much with how they play. And there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s just that it wasn’t a fit for me — realizing that and putting my foot down and saying, ‘Hey, I’ve got to change something about this,’ because I could always feel that I wasn’t really too [good] of a match for them. Just the type of running back style that I have didn’t really marry with how they play football.”
It’s just one game, but it’s clear that Lewis isn’t going to be a top option in Virginia’s offense early in the season.
But that would’ve been the case at Tennessee, too. Lewis, despite his status as a former four-star recruit, would’ve just been a depth option for the Vols had he stayed at UT for his junior season.
