Published Nov 19, 2020
Next man up: Isaiah Lewis leading by example in CU's defensive backfield
Justin Guerriero  •  CUSportsReport
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As Colorado's fall camp neared its end and it became apparent where the dominos were falling regarding starting positions, one player that never seemed to crack the top of the depth chart was junior defensive back Isaiah Lewis.

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That being said, Lewis' name was one that came up quite frequently over the span of fall camp.

It would be quite the undertaking to file through audio recordings of coaches and see who exactly was mentioned in dispatches, so to speak, the most, but Lewis without doubt was up there.

Midway through the season opener vs. UCLA, STAR backer Chris Miller left the game with an injury and Lewis was inserted into the game, playing in 47 snaps.

Last Saturday vs. Stanford, he was one of three Buffaloes (the other being ILB Nate Landman and safety Derrion Rakestraw) to play in all 84 defensive snaps vs. the Cardinal.

Head coach Karl Dorrell, his assistants and the players themselves speak frequently about having a 'next man up' mentality and in Lewis' case, he is a living embodiment of how to properly respond when getting the call.

“He’s been huge," Rakestraw said. "He’s probably one of those guys that had one of the best camps (and) has been coming in, flying under the radar, but he’s got it. We know we can put him at any position and he can play it. He has experience, he’s been here pretty long, so he knows the system."

"It’s just a matter of him going out there and doing on the field and he’s been doing that for us. He’s been doing a great job.”

Through two games, Lewis leads Colorado with five pass breakups. Against UCLA, Pro Football Focus graded him out at 84.1 overall. Last Saturday, he earned a 68.5.

Both figures led the entirety of CU's defensive backs corps among players who saw more than a dozen snaps.

For Lewis himself, despite what he may have thought about not earning a starting spot in the defensive backfield outright, staying ready for any opportunity became his priority.

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“I follow the model of trust the journey and stay true to the process," he said. "I know that some guys get on the field immediately and some guys have to work their way in. I think staying loyal to special teams and making sure that I’m staying in the playbook and keying the details, it was the difference-maker.”

For defensive coordinator Tyson Summers, having a guy like Lewis already presents a significant advantage in terms of personnel than what was at his disposal last year, when injuries took a particular toll on the secondary, the position group that the Buffs' had the least wiggle room with in terms of depth.

What Lewis showed coaches he has translated onto the field when it counts during games.

The way Summers sees it, Lewis is leading by example and helping to set a standard for the position group.

“There’s been a good bit of shuffling of the deck so to speak, but I think we’ve gotten to a place where (the DBs) are working their tails off," Summers said. "I think you’ll continue to see a large amount of improvement with them because they all have the same mindset that Isaiah does, which is to work hard, continue to learn your system and have confidence in what you’re doing.”

Whether Lewis has done well enough to solidify himself as a player who sees extensive snaps by the time Miller returns from injury remains to be seen.

But as far as Dorrell is concerned, Lewis is a dependable asset whose versatility will ensure that he remains in the defensive backfield rotation for weeks to come.

"He showed me that he’s ready to fill any of those roles, particularly if it’s free safety, strong safety, STAR — he knows all three of those positions and he’s been pretty effective and (has) executed his assignments," Dorrell said. "I would see he’s trending up. He’s doing a nice job and we’re hopefully going to continue to bring him along, hopefully bring Chris back and have a little more depth in our back end.”