Meet the nation's No. 2 recruit, 2023's Jalen Lewis

The 2023 class has the potential to be one of the top classes talent wise that we’ve seen in the past few years. Led by talented guards in Mikey Williams, DJ Wagner, Bronny James, and many others, the incoming sophomore class has a towering 6-foot-8 big man that is currently seen as the second-rated recruit in his class.

Ladies and gents, meet Jalen Lewis.

The 6-foot-8 forward who also weighs over 210-pounds, attends Bishop O’Dowd in California. His skillset? A special one. Despite him being just a sophomore, Lewis is standing-tall and is still expected to grow and develop. 

This past summer, Lewis attended a workout with former Memphis Grizzlies big man Ivan Rabb, an alumni of Bishop O’Dowd. In addition, former Boston Celtic’ Jabari Bird was at the workout as well, along with Will Cherry.

“It was a good experience for sure. They taught me a lot. Mainly what a good work ethic looks like because they all work their hardest at all times. They’ve been at the highest level of this game and there isn’t a better way to get to that position than to follow in the footsteps of those guys,” Lewis said.

Lewis, prides himself on getting better and understanding the work ethic of professionals nowadays. He says that he watches film of Anthony Davis and Nikola Jokic. “I feel like I’m an inside-out player. I like to play strong inside but also enjoy being a stretch forward.”

As far as his recruitment goes it’s still early but that hasn’t stopped him from landing an impressive early offer sheet and early interests. 

“The recruitment has been really good so far. I feel like I’ve defintely gotten my name out there from last season. I currently earned offers from Cal, UC-Davis, Kansas, Arkansas, Michigan, Georgetown, USC, and Stanford,” Lewis said.

Lewis added that he’s been able to complete zoom calls with several programs since the recruit can directly contact the coaches but the coaches can’t contact him till next summer. He said the coversations were just about his routine during the pandemic and staying in shape.

“Cal, Michigan, and Stanford have just been talking to me about how I’m staying in shape.”

Early offer sheet that’s impressive also comes with some impressive interests as well. Lewis says that he has garnered interest from North Carolina, Vanderbilt, UCLA, Florida State, and Texas. I expect that to fully grow.