South Jersey POY Aaron Lewis set to return to Penn State
Penn State will host Williamstown, N.J., defensive end Aaron Lewis next weekend, Feb. 2, for its first Junior Day of the new year.
Listed at 6-foot-5, 235 pounds, Lewis earned an offer from the Lions this past season when he visited for the game against Michigan State. Since then, he’s been in regular contact with assistants Sean Spencer and Phil Galiano.
“I talk to Coach Galiano and Coach Spencer the most. I started talking with Coach Galiano first, so I’m probably closer with him,” Lewis said. “We have a great relationship and Coach Spencer is a really cool guy, too. I loved his energy when I went up there for that Michigan State game.
“Since then, we’ve been texting a lot and they send me edits and stuff. But I talk to both of them a lot and they’ve been to my school a lot, too. [Galiano and James Franklin] were at my school last week and their defensive coordinator [Brent Pry] was at my school [Tuesday].”
So far, Lewis has been able to visit Michigan, Ohio State, Rutgers and Temple. However, he said that his trip to Beaver Stadium was a different experience compared to some others.
“When I went to the Michigan State game, I had already been to a couple games before. When I walked out on that field though, I never felt anything like that before," Lewis said. "I think my feet were shaking when I would look up at everyone. It was a crazy feeling.
“That’s also the day I got offered. Coach Franklin offered me before the game, so I got to have a quick talk with him. He also pulled me out to midfield to shake his hand and talk during pregame. That was such a cool vibe. I was on the big screen and everything. That was a great experience.”
While Lewis may be familiar with the gameday experience in State College, he hasn’t been able to take complete tours of the Lasch Building and University Park campus. That’ll all change this upcoming weekend.
“Of course, I want to get a better look at the football aspect of everything, but also the academic part of it and the campus, all of that," said Lewis. "I’m going up with my mom and my girlfriend. My girlfriend is interested in Penn State, too, so it’ll be fun to do a tour with my mom and her. I’m really looking forward to the trip.”
In addition to Penn State, Lewis holds offers from Baylor, Boston College, Pitt, Rutgers, Syracuse, Temple and Wisconsin. He also added an offer from West Virginia Wednesday evening.
More offers will follow between now and the summer, but it’s also already become clear that the Nittany Lions will be a major player here.
“Oh yeah, Penn State is definitely a school I like a lot," said Lewis. "I’m taking the process slow and want to see which schools offer me, but I feel like Penn State will probably end up being one of my top schools. They’ve shown me a lot of love and I really like their coaches.”
This past season, Lewis totaled 103 tackles, including 25 tackles for loss. He added 16 quarterback hurries and eight sacks. That earned him South Jersey Player of the Year honors by the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Williamstown also went 12-0 this past season, winning New Jersey’s South Group 5 Championship.