Michigan Football: Wolverines flip Aaron Lewis, add versatility to D-Line

Michigan football scored another recruiting win by flipping Aaron Lewis, a three-star defensive end from the 2020 class that was committed to West Virginia.

When it comes to recruiting rankings, things are certainly subjective and Aaron Lewis, a defensive end from the 2020 class is a perfect example. The latest Michigan football commit ranks as high as No. 238 according to 247 sports, despite a composite ranking of 434 overall.

Lewis is a 6-foot-5 defensive end from Williamstown, New Jersey. He is listed at 235 pounds and until Sunday, he was committed to West Virginia.

Yet, a flip to Michigan football was obviously coming. Lewis was one of 20 recruits to visit Ann Arbor over the weekend and after what must have been a good visit, he announced he was flipping his commitment to UM.

Now, if there is some confusion about whether Lewis is a three-star or a four-star that is probably because 247 sports lists him as a four-star in their rankings, while he is a three-star in the composite, which is an average of rankings.

Still, in the composite rankings, Lewis registers as the 21st strong-side defensive end in 2020, as well as the 13th-best player in New Jersey. According to 247 sports though, Lewis is 13th among strong-side ends and seventh in his state, as well as 238th overall.

The fact that Michigan football was able to convince him to flip his commitment to the Wolverines from West Virginia is another good sign. He was a versatile piece and a player that 247 recruiting expert Brian Dohn gave high marks to in his scouting evaluation:

"Ideal frame for defensive end. Good length and can carry 260 pounds with ease. Can play inside or on edge. Has fast-twitch muscles. Gets off ball quickly. Physical at point of attack. Re-directs well along line of scrimmage. Plus body control. Great motor. Has closing speed. Tackles through the ball carrier. Has a good swim move. Needs to work on staying lower within first few steps. Improved hand work is important. Uses speed to the edge too frequently. Multi-year starter at top-20 college program. Third day NFL draft pick."

Dohn projects that Lewis will one day be an NFL draft pick and also comments that he should be a multi-year starter. That’s exciting to hear for Michigan football fans but if you dig even deeper, you can see why he will fit perfectly on the Wolverines defensive line.

At 6-foot-5, he will be able to add weight and should be able to get into 260-range as Dohn alludes to. If he can do that, he can play more of an inside position up front, sort of like what Kwity Paye is doing now. Rashan Gary also did that.

It’s a role that demands taking on more double teams and being able to set the edge. Being long and having long arms usually helps with that and Lewis has the ideal frame at 6-foot-5. When he adds weight, he can hold up well against the run, but with six sacks last season, he also shows potential as an edge rusher.

So, whether you see Lewis as a three-star or a four-star, there are reasons to believe he will be a great fit at Michigan and that’s why his commitment is a big deal.