2021 NFL Draft prospects to watch: Mid-American Conference
By Kyle Edmond
Central Michigan – Kobe Lewis, Running Back, Junior
Another running back to watch within the MAC in the upcoming season is Kobe Lewis. A year ago, Central Michigan relied on their run game to push their offense and that should again be the case in 2020. The top two backs for the Chippewas last year combined for over 2,100 rushing yards and scored 27 rushing touchdowns. Now with Jonathan Ward moving on, the show should belong to Lewis.
Of those combined stats from last season, Lewis accounted for 1,074 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns on 182 carries. The split between Ward and Lewis was rather even with Ward seeing just one more carry than Ward, but the picture is now a bit blurry for what to expect out of the Central Michigan backfield. The keys could be turned over to Lewis completely or another back could emerge into the committee.
One area that Lewis could see improvement in without a committee is the passing game. Ward hauled in 11 more passes than Lewis in 2019 and had double the receiving yards while also having an additional touchdown.
The potential is obviously there for Lewis and if the Chippewas run the ball like they did last year the opportunity will be there as well. When it’s all said and done, Lewis could be one of the more impressive backs in the conference.