Blair Lewis said he was confident going into his freshman season at Jeanerette this past fall and has only gained confidence through his experience and work since then.
But even the 6-foot-6, 320-pound budding star, one of Louisiana’s top young prospects, had to admit his college recruiting process has taken off more quickly than he ever anticipated.
Home-state LSU and Tulane both extended offers this week, joining USC in November and Memphis in April on his early list of suitors.
“It meant a lot because I’ve worked really hard on my game, and I just feel like it’s rewarding to be blessed,” Lewis, nicknamed “Big Red,” said of the early successes and recruitment. “And me being my age and young and going against older guys, it’s just giving me motivation and making me step up.”
Lewis already possesses next-level measurables, a natural gift that can’t be caught, and said he’s continued to realize with his work on his conditioning and technique that he can play with anyone in the country.
“Once I started getting the hang of everything and learning and practicing and working hard on my footwork and everything, I just felt confident going against older guys and it just felt like it was nothing,” he said of this fall, adding: “My biggest takeaway is it don’t matter the class, the age or however young I am — just be confident. And going against top prospects or guys that’s older than me, just be confident.”
And unsatisfied.
Lewis was an all-district selection and all-state honorable mention as a freshman, but has remained diligent this offseason: trimming about 20 pounds, lifting, running and working on his footwork as both a pass-protector and run-blocker.
He was among the definite eye-catchers at LSU’s lineman camp Saturday morning and left Baton Rouge with an offer he said was meaningful — including him becoming the first in-state prospect in his class to be offered by the Tigers — though he didn’t necessarily grow up with the Tigers the top of mind as a young player.
“I grew up watching Ohio State and Georgia because those teams always had a big and physical offensive line,” he said. “But me getting the LSU offer, it just shows all the hard work I put in and how it translated to the camp.”
Among specific players he admired, he pointed to highly touted defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart, who starred at St. Augustine before transferring to Edna Karr, reclassifying up to the 2025 class and signing with USC.
Like Lewis, Stewart earned a slew of early college offers and operated with a major recruiting spotlight from an early age.
“My favorite person growing up I looked up to was Thanos, Jahkeem Stewart,” Lewis said. “I used to watch his film a lot, and I used to just love him and watching him and his technique and how physical he was… I learned with anything I do, every rep I take, just to be dominant and just bring pain and show ’em who I am — not just because of my age and grade, just show ’em who I am.”
Lewis continued to showcase his ability Wednesday with a trip to Tulane that earned his latest offer.
And the first four offers only figure to be the tip of the iceberg as he continues to develop and to work his way through college camps around the country.
“I want them to know anything I do and anything that I put my mind to, I’m willing to work hard and be the best version of myself,” he said.”