USC’s Marquavius Lewis not backing down from hype

Pressure to supply pressure.

It’s a wonder Marquavius “Qua” Lewis manages to walk upright. A starter since he signed, South Carolina’s right defensive end is being counted on to drastically change the Gamecocks’ defensive fortunes.

He was rated by one service as the top junior-college player in the country. He was a starter upon enrollment. He’s the centerpiece of a defensive signing class that has aimed at making sure the horrid numbers of 2014 never happen again, and he’s from the same town that produced an All-American D-lineman (Kelcy Quarles) and one of the Gamecocks’ hardest hitters (D.J. Swearinger).

Lewis hasn’t wilted from any of it, or from the other comparisons – “He’s the next Clowney!” read breathless reports. A giant picture of Jadeveon Clowney hits Lewis in the face every time he leaves the weight room, and the No. 1 pick’s accomplishments and other pictures are strung throughout Williams-Brice Stadium.

A common refrain is USC’s defense has to be better in 2015 because it surely couldn’t be worse. Lewis is projected to heavily figure into that, giving the Gamecocks the pass-rush they sparsely had last season.

How does Lewis handle it?

By ignoring it.

“He’s really a chill guy,” safety Chris Moody said. “But if you’re No. 1 in anything, you get a lot added behind your name.”

Soft-spoken, Lewis prefers to let his hits talk for him. He had 11 sacks and 20.5 tackles for loss at Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College last year; the year before he had 7.5 and 19. The numbers are outstanding, which led to the rankings.

But now he has to do it in the SEC.

“That’s what we talked about coming in,” line coach Deke Adams said. “A lot of people were kind of comparing him to Clowney. I told him, ‘You know what? Just be yourself. Don’t be Jadeveon Clowney – you can’t be. Be yourself, be Marquavius Lewis.’ That’s what he’s trying to do and he’s working hard at it.”

Lewis looked good in the spring, better in preseason camp. The line has looked much better at running around opposing tackles, Lewis leading a charge of constant pressure.

Jon Hoke hasn’t made sweeping changes in the defense; he simply wants energy and effort on every snap. Get blocked, keep going. Don’t let one player slow you down. Get to the quarterback by any means necessary.

“I feel like we’ve got a damn good pass-rush right now. We’re going to get better,” end David Johnson said. “We’re the group out here that don’t get a break.”

That’s where Lewis has also shone. He’s the one who keeps asking for another rep after the rest have been excused for a water break.

“He’s still learning some things that we’re doing, and getting down the system and all that,” Adams said. “But he’s a big kid that can run, brings a lot of versatility on the edge and being maybe able to play inside in certain scenarios. He’s been fine and I think we’re going to be really pleased with him.”

Not much went right defensively last season. Lewis was one of many new faces meant to help correct it. His teammates don’t see a potential problem of him picking up the system and bringing it as well as he did at Hutchinson.

“It’s not hard to fit good players in. He’s a great player,” Moody said. “It’s football, anywhere you go. Football is a game of who shows up.”

Lewis did so in the spring and preseason. The time to really show up is in less than two weeks.

“It’s what I earned – I played pretty well in the spring,” he said. “I don’t feel any pressure. I know my teammates got my back.”

This story was originally published August 22, 2015 at 10:31 PM with the headline "USC’s Marquavius Lewis not backing down from hype."