2019 Football Roster
Roster
Leo Lewis
- Position:
- LB
- Height:
- 6-2
- Weight:
- 245
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- Brookhaven, MS
- High School/Previous School:
- Brookhaven HS
2016 FWAA Freshman All-American
2016 SEC Defensive Freshman of the Year (Athlon Sports)
2016 All-SEC Freshman Team (Coaches)
2016 SEC Freshman of the Week (at Ole Miss)
CAREER: Veteran, instinctive linebacker who was a four-year starter for the Bulldogs … Played the WILL spot and was part of one of the top trios in the SEC at the position, which also featured Erroll Thompson and Willie Gay Jr. … Claimed SEC Defensive Freshman of the Year honors in 2016 by Athlon Sports and was also a Freshman All-America selection that same fall … Played in 51 games with 48 starts and recorded 235 tackles, including 14.0 for loss and three sacks … Forced one fumble and recovered two … Arrived at MSU as the top inside linebacker prospect in the nation … Graduated from MSU in December 2019 with a degree in interdisciplinary studies.
2019 SENIOR SEASON: Started all 13 games at WILL linebacker … Finished fourth on the team in tackles with 65 … Turned in a career-high 5.5 tackles for loss … Added one sack, two pass breakups, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries … Led the team and equaled a career high in tackles with 12 vs. Kansas State (9/14) … Added 0.5 TFL and one pass breakup … Tied for the team lead in tackles with eight, his most in an SEC game on the season, at No. 7 Auburn (9/28) … Logged one TFL, forced one fumble and recovered two fumbles against the Tigers … Became the first MSU player to recover multiple fumbles in a single game since at least 2000 … Registered a season-high 1.5 tackles for loss, one sack and seven total tackles vs. No. 2 LSU (10/19) … Totaled four tackles, including one for lost yardage, in the Egg Bowl win vs. Ole Miss (11/28).
2018 JUNIOR SEASON: Started 10 of 12 games played … Made 45 tackles, including three for loss … Recorded at least one tackle in 11 games … 31 of his 45 tackles were recorded in SEC games … Did not start vs. Arkansas and did not play at No. 1 Alabama … Opened the season with a pair of tackles, including one for loss, vs. Stephen F. Austin (9/1) … Turned in season highs in tackles (8) and tackles for loss (1.5) vs. Louisiana (9/15) … Tallied five tackles with four being of the solo variety at Kentucky (9/22) … Followed up with six stops vs. Florida (9/29) … Collected five tackles in the big win vs. No. 8 Auburn (10/6) to give him 24 during that four-game stretch … Logged four tackles, including 0.5 for loss, in the victory vs. No. 16 Texas A&M (10/27) … Registered four tackles vs. Arkansas (11/17) and at Ole Miss (11/22).
2017 SOPHOMORE SEASON: Started 12 games at one of the inside linebacker positions in the 3-4 … Did not start Week 2 … Collected 46 tackles with one tackle for loss … Notched a season-best eight tackles and forced his first career fumble in win vs. No. 11 LSU (9/16) … Tallied 0.5 tackle for loss at Louisiana Tech (9/9) … Had three tackles in four straight games – at Georgia, at Auburn, BYU and Kentucky … Matched his season-best and led the team with eight tackles in road win at No. 24 Texas A&M (10/28) … Notched 0.5 tackle for loss vs. Ole Miss (11/23).
2016 REDSHIRT FRESHMAN SEASON: The first Football Writers Association Freshman All-American in MSU history … Accumulated 79 tackles in his debut season, which led all SEC freshmen and was 30 better than the next closest one … Ranked 13th among all players in the league in tackles and added 4.5 tackles for loss and one sack … Ranked seventh nationally in tackles among freshmen … Selected as the SEC Freshman Defensive Player of the Year by Athlon Sports … Started all 13 games at Will linebacker … Produced the highest tackle total by an MSU freshman since Benardrick McKinney (now with Houston Texans) in 2012 … Voted Freshman All-SEC by the league’s coaches … Led the Bulldogs in tackles in three contests – South Alabama, LSU and BYU … In his first collegiate game, earned the start and led MSU in tackles with nine, including two for loss, vs. South Alabama (9/3) … Posted a game-high 10 tackles in his first career road game at LSU (9/17) … Outstanding game at BYU (10/14), registering a season-high 12 tackles, including seven of the solo variety … Named SEC Freshman of the Week in helping lead MSU in the win vs. Ole Miss (11/26) … Gathered six tackles, his first career sack and had 1.5 tackles for loss in the 55-20 win over the Rebels … Became the first SEC Freshman of the Week since Chris Jones (now with Kansas City Chiefs) on Dec. 2, 2013 … Collected seven tackles in the St. Petersburg Bowl vs. Miami (Ohio) (12/26).
2015 TRUE FRESHMAN SEASON: Redshirted during first year on campus.
HIGH SCHOOL: The nation's top inside linebacker recruit … A consensus four-star prospect ranked the No. 2 overall player in the state of Mississippi … Tabbed the nation's No. 43 overall prospect by Rivals.com, No. 60 overall by ESPN.com and No. 63 by 247Sports … Member of the Clarion-Ledger Dandy Dozen and was a first-team All-American by USA Today … One of five finalists for the 2014 Dick Butkus Award, which goes to the nation's top linebacker … As a senior, recorded 76 tackles (58 solo) and two tackles for loss … Also had a fumble recovery and one sack for an eight yard loss … Played in the Under Armour All-American game … Finished with 100 tackles, five sacks, seven quarterback hurries, four forced fumbles and an interception as a junior in 2013 … Coached by Tommy Clopton.
PERSONAL: Born Leo Lewis on Nov. 25, 1996 … Son of Leo Lewis Jr. and Tina Henderson ... Twitter handle is @LeoLewisIII.
LEWIS’ CAREER HIGHS:
Tackles: 12, (twice), last vs. Kansas State (9-14-19)
Tackles For Loss: 2.0, vs. South Alabama (9-3-16)
Sacks: 1.0, (3x), last vs LSU (10-19-19)
Pass Breakups: 1, (5x), last vs. Abilene Christian (11-23-19)
Fumbles Forced: 1, (2x), at Auburn (9-28-19)
Fumbles Recovered: 2, at Auburn (9-28-19)
![Jacksonville Jaguars punter Logan Cooke (9) punts during the second quarter of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Jets 48-20. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]](https://images.sidearmdev.com/resize?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdxbhsrqyrr690.cloudfront.net%2Fsidearm.nextgen.sites%2Fmsstate.sidearmsports.com%2Fimages%2F2026%2F1%2F1%2FUSATSI_27828199.jpg&height=340&type=webp)