Rutgers will add an explosive piece to the 2017 puzzle as Mater Dei (Middletown, N.J.) wide receiver Eddie Lewis will sign to the program on national signing day.
“I’m going to sign to Rutgers tomorrow,” Lewis, the 6-foot, 190-pound three-star told NJ.com Tuesday night.
Rutgers football recruiting update, 1/31
It all came together the weekend of Jan. 20 when Lewis took his official visit to the banks.
“When we were at the official visit, coach Ash asked me what I wanted to do, being straight up. He said what do you want to do. And I said I want to be there. And he was like alright, well we want you here. So we are going to do our best to get you here. We’ve just got to get your grades situation together. And once we find out that, then that’s it.”
Lewis, his family and the staff finalized the plans last week in Florida, where Lewis was representing the United States for USA football in a world tournament that he and his teammates won.
And his family can finally rest easy, knowing Lewis is situated.
“They are happy,” said Lewis. “They liked coach Ash. They liked Rutgers a lot when we went there for the official visit.”
Although Lewis held 12 offers — including Syracuse, Boston College, Duke, North Carolina, Iowa and Temple — his recruitment ultimately came down to two teams: Rutgers and Indiana.
The Scarlet Knights re-established their relationship with Lewis in December after cooling on his since the summer, as the team had filled its quota at wide receiver prior to Lewis making his decision. But the eventual defection of Toms River North Baymavi wide receiver Bryce Watts re-opened the an opportunity for Lewis – one of N.J.’s top play-makers — to join the fold.
On the flip side, coaching changes within the Hoosiers staff ultimately sealed their fate as they ran out of time.
“That whole thing with their coaches being changed and everybody getting fired and stuff, it came at a time where I really wasn’t hearing from them,” said Lewis. “And as soon as they got settled in, they hit me up wanting to know if I was still interested. And I said yeah, but they were like you can visit this weekend, but I was already going to Rutgers that weekend, although I didn’t want to tell them that. But I asked when was another time I can visit, and they said like right after I finish with Team USA (the weekend of Jan. 27). And that was a little too late. So I told them I would get back to them at the end of the weekend.
“Then once we left Rutgers, I was just like I’m not even going to do it. Like, I don’t want to stress myself out even more. And my parents liked it so that just basically put it over the top. I just wanted them to see me play. Like God forbid, if things don’t work out like I want it, that’s the last time they could see me play on a big stage. So I was just thinking about them most of the time.”
Lewis, who will fax off his signed national letter of intent to Rutgers at 9 a.m., is happy to put his recruitment behind him and move on to the next stage in life.
“I’m just blessed to be a Scarlet Knight and will do my best to represent my state and family well,” he said.
In 2016, Lewis accumulated 42 receptions for 847 yards and 15 TDs to go along with 42 carries for 188 additional yards on the ground. A third-team all-state selection, Lewis led the Seraphs to a non-public group 2 title win over Holy Spirit in dramatic fashion by scoring the game winning touchdown on a hook and lateral.
The play ended up being the CBS Maxpreps National Video of the Week.
Todderick Hunt may be reached at thunt@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TodderickHunt. Find NJ.com Rutgers Football on Facebook.
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