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Louisville football: An in-depth look at QB commit TJ Lewis

By Presley Meyer

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY - OCTOBER 05: Micale Cunningham #3 of the Louisville Cardinals runs the ball in the game against the Boston College Eagles at Cardinal Stadium on October 05, 2019 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY - OCTOBER 05: Micale Cunningham #3 of the Louisville Cardinals runs the ball in the game against the Boston College Eagles at Cardinal Stadium on October 05, 2019 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /
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TALLAHASSEE, FL – OCTOBER 21: Runningback Reggie Bonnafon #7 and Center Robbie Bell #75 of the Louisville Cardinals celebrates after a touchdown during the game against the Florida State Seminoles at Doak Campbell Stadium on Bobby Bowden Field on October 21, 2017 in Tallahassee, Florida. Louisville defeated Florida State 31 to 28. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images)
TALLAHASSEE, FL – OCTOBER 21: Runningback Reggie Bonnafon #7 and Center Robbie Bell #75 of the Louisville Cardinals celebrates after a touchdown during the game against the Florida State Seminoles at Doak Campbell Stadium on Bobby Bowden Field on October 21, 2017 in Tallahassee, Florida. Louisville defeated Florida State 31 to 28. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images) /

Who does TJ Lewis compare to?

Scouts often break down where they think some of the top players project in college, and where they will end up beyond the next level, but rarely do you see a breakdown of some of the “mid-range” talent.

Just because Lewis is not a top 300 player does not mean that his capabilities at Louisville and beyond are limited.

Just look at some of the top players in the NFL today. There’s a steady stream of players who were considered 3-star talent out of high school dominating in today’s NFL.

But, who does TJ Lewis compare to?

To me, an easy comparison is Louisville’s own Reggie Bonnafon.

The Louisville Trinity native was rated the No. 10 dual-threat QB in the class of 2014. He came in and made an immediate impact for the Cardinals in year one under Bobby Petrino.

Bonnafon was a proficient passer, but he excelled at getting outside the pocket and making plays on the run. Obviously he showed a tremendous acumen in place of injured starter Will Gardner, and just as true freshman Evan Conley did in 2019, Bonnafon led the Cardinals to some important victories off the bench.

Lewis has a ton of Bonnafon in his game. He excels in option formations where he keeps the ball a ton and is fantastic at evading oncoming tacklers. He displays tremendous core strength on multiple occasions. He maintains his balance and doesn’t break stride when he takes hits as a ball-carrier. In fact, his ability to remain upright given his slender frame is reminiscent of Lamar Jackson in high school.

What you have to love about Lewis is that he is all-in on the quarterback position, but like Bonnafon, he could provide so much more down the road. He lists himself as 6’4,” on his Hudl profile and has a ton of room to grow into a 200+ pound frame.

Lewis is the type of athlete that the coaches are going to want to find a way to get onto the field. Like Bonnafon, he could very well be utilized down the road as a running back, receiver, and overall utility man.

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