Ohio State kicker Parker Lewis returns home to the Sun Devils
Another day, another transfer with Valley of the Sun ties joins the ranks in Tempe. 6-3 205-pound kicker Parker Lewis, who prepped locally at Scottsdale Saguaro, announced that he will transfer to Arizona State as an Ohio State spring graduate and will have two years of eligibility remaining once he arrives in Tempe this summer. Prior to transferring to Ohio State, Lewis signed with USC as a member of The 2020 recruiting class and played two years with the Trojans, winning the placekicker role as a true freshman.
“Obviously, moving closer to home was a big deal to me,” Lewis admitted. “I spent two years in LA, two years in Ohio, and there’s really no place like Arizona. I seriously don’t know of one other place that beats Scottsdale. (ASU special teams coordinator) Coach Ragle was a huge deal to me. He’s a coach that I’ve known for forever. I had one of my first visits with him in 2017 when I was a young sophomore. Coach Ragle is as real as it gets, and I don’t know many other special teams coordinators who have his resume.
“He’s done it all and is so wise and so smart with his philosophy and how he controls his schemes and how he develops his players. It really was all music to my ears. He’s the exact same Coach Ragle that he was in 2017, and he’s the man which I trust him with my life.”
ASU’s new kicker said that he’s naturally pleased to reunite with his Saguaro head coach and the Sun Devils’ tight ends coach, Jason Mohns. Lewis joked that even though ASU’s head coach, Kenny Dillingham, played and coached at rival Scottsdale Chaparral High School, he appreciated what he had done in Tempe in a very short time.
“I love the direction that Coach Dillingham is pushing ASU in,” Lewis commented, “and that’s something I really wanted to be a part of. He’s so impressive, and it’s no accident that he’s the youngest (FBS program) coach in college football. That just speaks volumes about him and his character and how he handles his business. He’s been incredibly successful at Oregon, Florida State, Memphis…everywhere he’s been. It’s a clean slate going into the Big 12 this year. He’s gotten so many recruits and changed so much about the program. I’m seriously just fired up for this opportunity there, and I wanted to be a part of it so badly.
“I’ve talked to a few players, and they all were very, very consistent with how they viewed the program, what type of person and coach Coach Ragle and Coach Dillingham were... their philosophies and team culture…they all basically said it just it was a complete 180 from where they came and it was all for the best they love being there.”
Lewis kicked for two seasons at USC, earning honorable mention All-Pac-12 honors in 2020 and second-team honors in 2021. In 2021, he was 17 of 22 in field goal attempts, ironically recording his career-high of 52 yards in a 2021 contest versus Arizona State. Lewis also tallied 27 touchbacks on 34 kickoffs. In 19 career games for the Trojans, he connected on 26 of 35 field goal attempts for 124 points and converted on 46 of 47 extra points.
In 2019, he helped lead Saguaro to win its seventh consecutive state championship and earned several honors that year, including MaxPreps All-American first team, PrepStar All-Western Region, as connected on 76 of 77 extra points and was perfect 5 of 5 on field goals, with a long of 48 yards.
Lewis said that punting at ASU was also discussed, along with the expected field goal and kickoff duties. The specialist said that he appreciated Ragle’s approach of using his strengths to bring out the best of his ability to put himself in a position to play in the NFL.
This mindset was undoubtedly different from what he had experienced at Ohio State. Lewis said that it wasn’t uncommon for USC transfers like himself to have classes taken not show up on the transcript when transferring out of USC. Consequently, the NCAA ruled him academically ineligible for the 2022 season, and despite Lewis’s appeal, he was only academically eligible at Ohio State for the following season.
Oddly enough, the Ohio State coaches held that against Lewis, who, as a result, played in only one game last season where he had both of his kickoffs go for touchbacks.
“It seems that they (Ohio State) already made their mind up,” Lewis recalled. “I was supposed to come in and have a real big impact, and they weren’t too happy that I wasn’t eligible even though it wasn’t my fault. I didn’t agree with it, and so I was looking to leave because, essentially, the writing was on the wall.
“The guy kicking off for them wasn’t doing too well. So, in a game in the middle of the season, they bring me on. My first two kickoffs for the team go for touchbacks, and then the next week, I’m not traveling. There were coaches there who helped me out and put an emphasis on trying to make me better, and that’s when I started dabbling with punting.”
Lewis is finishing his studies toward his spring degree by taking online classes and training here in the valley. And needless to say, the proverbial chip on the shoulder adage is one that perfectly describes his approach as he will embark on his Sun Devil career.
“Coming to Ohio State and being treated the way that I was treated,” Lewis stated, “and how the whole (special teams) room was treated…I just thought I would graduate and go work because I already had a really good job offer. But the other part of me was, ‘I’m gonna use this as fire. I’m gonna end this thing the right way, and how I want to end it.’
“I’m the hardest worker you’ll ever meet; I’m just so excited for this opportunity and can’t wait to absolutely kill it.”
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