Wisconsin loses WR Keontez Lewis after he announces his departure, and he is set to leave the team.
Alvis Whitted, the wide receivers coach for the Wisconsin Badgers, saw Keontez Lewis as a big man with unrealized big-play potential when he transferred from UCLA to the university last season.
In his 11 games as a true freshman for the Bruins, the 6-foot-2, 196-pound player had yet to catch a pass. But he was expected to play a major role in the offense when he arrived in Wisconsin.
Lewis delivered on that promise by finishing third on the team in receiving yards (313), touchdown catches (three), and receptions (20).
He was also a part of a strong group that also included Skyler Bell and Chimere Dike. Whitted was let go along with every other member of the Wisconsin coaching staff when he transferred from UCLA to the university and decided to bring in Luke Fickell to take over as head coach.
In light of the fact that the new team had added four wide receivers via the transfer portal, Lewis was forced to establish himself once more.
Lewis was working with the second-team offense by the conclusion of spring practices. During media-accessible preseason practices, he continued in that capacity.
Alongside Oklahoma State transfer Bryson Green and Cincinnati transfer Will Pauling in the slot, Dike started the season as a starter on the outside. Lewis and C.J.
Williams, a transfer from USC, was the outside reserve, with Bell in the slot.
Based on the first few practices, it seemed that all six receivers were ready to contribute to the air raid offense. Lewis was designated as Dike’s backup receiver on the depth chart.
However, in Wisconsin’s 38-17 season-opening victory over Buffalo, just five of them were in the starting lineup. Lewis entered the game late and,
According to Pro Football Focus, players played for six snaps with the result predetermined. Lewis did not play at all on Saturday in Wisconsin’s 31-22 loss to Washington State.
Lewis consequently declared on Thursday that he would be using the transfer portal with two years of eligibility left. Soon after Lewis made his decision,
The athlete asked him about the events that led up to that point. Via a school spokesman, Fickell denied a request for comment from The Athletic. This is the Lewis interview:
During the initial fortnight of preseason training, you were earning playing time in the top two groups. The thought that coaches would only select five players began to change in your mind when?
Really, it did not change much until after the first game. I was able to infer some information after that. And that is exactly what happened in the second game.
However, some information was not conveyed effectively. Because of this, I simply thought, “Hey, if I cannot contribute and I feel like I can definitely be a part of something, then it is what it is.”
So are you saying you had no idea you would not be a part of the rotation going into the first game against Buffalo?
No idea.
What did receivers coach Mike Brown tell you after the Buffalo game?
He told me to be ready for Week 2. Everything is going to be back to normal. He’d get me in there, this and that. Everything will be back to normal, normal rotation.
So my normal rotation was me playing. So that didn’t happen, as you can see.
Coaches went into the portal and got four transfers this offseason, three of whom ended up being in the top five. Did you wonder, when those players arrived, what your role would be?
I feel like I showed enough last season, and I feel like I’ve definitely earned that right during fall camp and spring ball.
When did you start to think about entering the portal? On Sunday?
Yeah, definitely. It’s been on my mind. It’s been lingering for a long time since these guys got here, just by the way stuff was going before.
But I just stuck it out and just kept playing, kept earning my right on the field, and kept making plays and stuff like that. I thought everything was going to work out.
