Isaiah Lewis, Colorado Football News: Draft Scout Player News

11/25/20 - SS Isaiah Lewis, rSr/2023, Colorado

Opportunities to play on defense didn't come often for Isaiah Lewis during his first three years with the Colorado Buffaloes. Two games into his fourth season, Lewis is not only playing, but he's arguably been the best member of the secondary for the Buffaloes (2-0), who are slated to visit 19th-ranked Southern California (3-0) on Saturday. "I follow the model to just trust the journey and stay true to the process," Lewis said. "I know that some guys get on the field immediately and some guys have to work their way in." A 6-foot, 205-pound safety from Granite Bay, Calif., Lewis redshirted in 2017 and made just five appearances on defense from 2018-19, playing a total of 29 snaps. He also played every game in 2019 on special teams. "I think just kind of staying loyal to special teams and making sure that I'm staying in the playbook and keying in on details, it was a difference maker," he said. "Continuing to follow details was what I stuck to and I think it worked out for the best."

Lewis didn't win a starting job in preseason camp, but played 41 snaps off the bench in the opener against UCLA. An injury to junior Chris Miller in that game opened the door even more. Lewis played all 79 defensive snaps against Stanford on Nov. 14. He's recorded seven tackles and a team-high five pass breakups so far this season. "Here's a guy that's been under the radar," head coach Karl Dorrell said. "He had a really good training camp for us and he plays a number of positions in our secondary, and particularly our safety position. Then when Chris went down, prior to the Stanford game, he had to show in that role that Chris was not able to do. He played well but I'm not surprised by that. He had a really good camp." - Denver Post

rSr/2023