3. Shaun Lewis
Defensive back | Senior (GR) | 6’0″ 180 pounds
Hendon Hooker threw his first interception for Tennessee football last week. It actually was against a team with a below average secondary but an elite pass rush. That’s exactly what UT-Martin has, and although Alabama’s pass rush was not what it usually is, it still managed to come away with that interception.
Well, Shaun Lewis has become a huge playmaker at cornerback for the Skyhawks. He is the reason UT-Martin is top 10 in interceptions this season, as he has four picks. Nobody else has more tha none. Lewis also has six pass breakups and 33 tackles, 21 of which were solo.
In this game, the Vols will be looking to target Lewis, as their wideouts are where they have a huge advantage, even without Cedric Tillman. Bru McCoy and Ramel Keyton appear unstoppable, and Josh Heupel will likely be looking to take advantage of that mismatch more than any other.
As a result, Jason Simpson will likely use his cornerbacks to gamble on plays to see if they can somehow get a turnover, and that’s where Lewis comes into play. Disguised coverages and the right pressure packages could potentially result in a few big plays. Lewis spent five seasons with the Houston Cougars, so he knows this level of competition.