By Jerry Ratcliffe

When Peyton Lewis was running wild for Salem High School as a star senior running back, he was recruited by the cream of the crop in college football.

He had it all. The size, 6-foot-1, 212 pounds. Elite speed, his personal-best time of 6.28 in the 55-meter dash ranked first in the state of Virginia and seventh nationally in 2023. The accolades, a 4-star, all-state performer, ranked the No. 4 running back in the nation by one major recruiting service.

Everybody came knocking at his door. Lewis received 32 Division I offers, six from SEC programs.

Virginia coach Tony Elliott knew he didn’t have much of a shot to land the prep superstar, but he had to try. Understandably, Lewis signed with Tennessee, where the Vols had high expectations, including being the program’s next All-SEC running back.

To read the rest of this article and even more award-winning coverage on the UVA athletics department, including its nationally-ranked football and basketball programs, be sure to subscribe to “Cavalier Exclusive” to follow all of Virginia Sports Hall Of Famer Jerry “Hootie” Ratcliffe’s analysis and content. It’s the best in the business for Wahoo Fans!