On3 national expert Pete Nakos says that Syracuse football is among the early schools to watch for Tennessee transfer running back Peyton Lewis.
The 6-foot-1, 212-pound Lewis, who is from Salem, Va., was a sophomore with the Volunteers during the 2025 season. He is expected to have two years of college eligibility left. Tennessee (8-4 overall), out of the loaded Southeastern Conference, will play Illinois (8-4 overall) in the Music City Bowl on December 30 in Nashville, Tenn.
Word broke on December 21 that Lewis intends to enter the transfer portal, which will be open from January 2 to January 16. Per Nakos, early teams to monitor for Lewis include the Orange, Virginia, South Carolina and Florida State.
BREAKING: Tennessee RB Peyton Lewis is entering the @TransferPortal, he tells @On3Sports
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) December 21, 2025
He was ranked as the No. 4 RB in the 2024 Class (per On3)
Lewis scored 10 TDs in his 2 seasons with the Vols
Repped by @caseygunn0 https://t.co/RlUbB6Fk7q pic.twitter.com/CYzHr1HDW4
As a sophomore in the 2025 season, Lewis appeared in 10 games, carrying the ball 70 times for 290 yards with seven scores on the ground. He also caught four passes for 42 yards. In the 2025 season opener, when the Vols knocked off the 'Cuse, 45-26, in Atlanta, Lewis rushed eight times for 38 yards with one touchdown.
Syracuse football may have an interest in Tennessee transfer RB Peyton Lewis.
The Orange coaching staff, as I alluded to in another column on Wednesday, is expected to pursue transfer running backs when the portal opens in early January. That's in part due to 'Cuse sophomore running backs Yasin Willis, Jaden Hart and Malachi James declaring that they plan to transfer.
At the time of this writing, in its national transfer rankings, 247Sports placed Lewis as three stars, No. 139 overall and No. 14 at running back. Rivals has him as three stars, No. 156 nationally and No. 19 at RB.
As a member of the 2024 prep cycle out of Salem High School, Lewis was a consensus four-star prospect. His highest 2024 rankings came via On3, where he was slotted at No. 67 overall, No. 4 at running back and No. 2 in Virginia.
Lewis was selected for the 2024 Under Armour All-America Game. As a senior, he helped guide Salem to a 13-2 record and an appearance in the Virginia High School League ("VHSL") Class 4 state title game. Check this out: In the state semifinals, Lewis rushed 30 times for a ridiculous 373 yards and four touchdowns.
As a junior, he was a VHSL Class 4 All-State first-team performer after rushing for 1,560 yards and 17 scores. According to Tennessee Athletics, while in high school, Lewis was a five-time VHSL Class 4 state champion in track and field.