STARKVILLE — As Leo Lewis thinks about his collegiate debut, he is surprised with how well he played.
The Mississippi State linebacker doesn’t lack for confidence, but coming off a redshirt year and playing in that first game is overwhelming sometimes. But after getting that first contact, any doubts he had about being able to play at the Division I level were gone.
In his first game, Lewis got the start at WILL linebacker and made the most of it.
“I was really nervous going out there and getting my first start in front of 60,000 people,” Lewis said. “It could have been better, a lot better, but it was more than what I was expecting.”
Lewis led the Bulldogs with nine tackles (2.0 for loss) as MSU lost 21-20 to South Alabama at Davis Wade Stadium last Saturday. He led all Southeastern Conference freshmen in tackles in the first week. After dipping his toe into the water, Lewis is ready for more. Lewis and MSU (0-1, 0-0 SEC) play host to South Carolina (1-0, 1-0) 6 p.m. Saturday (ESPN2) to open conference play.
Lewis was active in the first half and had seven tackles. But like the MSU defense, Lewis was almost nonexistent in the second half, with two tackles.
Although Lewis played well, MSU football coach Dan Mullen doesn’t want Lewis to get a big head. He praised his performance, but said there is a lot for him to work on and get better at.
“He’s learning how to play,” Mullen said. “He made some plays. It was good to see him get in game action to go do that. As a young player, he’s got to learn the standard of how to play hard on every single snap. It was good to see him out there and make plays in a live game situation.”
Lewis was the nation’s top inside linebacker recruit in the 2015 class. He picked MSU over in-state rival Ole Miss, who he was committed to at one point. As a senior at Brookhaven High School, Lewis had 76 tackles (2.0 for loss), 1.0 sacks and a fumble recovery. He was one of five finalists for the 2014 Dick Butkus Award, which goes to the nation’s top linebacker.
The 6-foot-2, 230-pound Lewis caught the eye of college teams after a very good junior season. He had 100 tackles, 5.0 sacks, seven quarterback hurries, four forced fumbles and an interception.
First-year defensive coordinator Peter Sirmon was pleased with how Lewis handled his first game action.
“He played with good energy,” Sirmon said. “I thought he played with very good eyes. He saw a lot of things happening in the backfield. I thought he tackled as physically as I’ve seen him tackle. There’s still a lot of things for him to clean up. He showed up and he showed some flashes of playmaking ability, so that was encouraging to see.”
Senior linebacker Richie Brown, who had six tackles, said they have to continue to encourage Lewis and push him in the right direction. But he feels like Lewis has a good head on his shoulder and will continue to put in the work.
Lewis said he was surprised with how well he handled the speed of the game and felt like he played fast enough to match the speed.
After watching film, Lewis said he needs to improve his tackling and improve on executing in pass coverage. Known as a violent tackler in high school, he has begun to learn how to channel that aggression keep it under control.
“You most definitely have to control yourself, especially in a big-time game because you don’t want to miss tackles,” Lewis said. “I’ve been trying my best to wrap up, make open field tackles and drive the ball carrier back at the point of contact.”
Lewis has something to build off of, but will get more attention from opposing defenses starting with South Carolina. Lewis doesn’t want to be overconfident and become complacent. But he is confident and he is read to get back on the field and prove he can perform at a high level in back-to-back games.
“I’m very eager,” Lewis said. “I’m really ready to max out my potential and really become better as a player. I’m ready to maximize my potential.”
n In other football news, Mullen was asked again if freshman defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons was going to play this week.
Speaking on the SEC teleconference Wednesday, Mullen said he will evaluate Simmons after practice and make a decision then. Simmons, a former Noxubee County High School standout, was suspended for the first game after a video surfaced of him striking a woman. Simmons pled no contest to simple assault and was found guilty of malicious mischief.
Mullen reiterated that he wasn’t involved in the punishment, but said Simmons has transitioned nicely.
“Since he’s been on campus, he’s done everything we’ve asked him to do and has been a great teammate,” Mullen said. “In all the things we’ve asked him to do, he’s done to the best of his ability.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
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