LITTLE ROCK — The 23rd and final in a series profiling new additions to the

Arkansas football team.

It took time for Brandon Lewis to decide that his future in football was brighter than one he could pursue in basketball.

But it wasn’t for Duron Sutton’s lack of effort.

“I was trying to help him understand, you’ve got minimal midmajor offers in basketball [Missouri State and Kent State] and multiple major offers in football,” said Sutton, Lewis’ football coach at Ridgeway High School in Memphis. “A lot of athletes have an interest in getting to the next level after college, and it’s easier to do that from the major-college level.”

Lewis finally took his former coach’s advice, and became more serious about college football, a path that has led him to Arkansas, where he started camp last week as a freshman defensive end.

A more constant focus on football, Sutton said, will kick start Lewis’ development.

Previously, after his high school football season was over, the 6-5, 235-pound Lewis suited up for the Roadrunners’ basketball team. Then each summer, rather than spending time with football teammates in conditioning drills or weightlifting sessions, he’d travel to tournaments with an AAU basketball team.

He spent this past summer in Fayetteville, though, the first time he didn’t focus on basketball during the summer.

“His body hasn’t even scratched the surface,” Sutton said. “He just has a lot of raw ability. His best football is ahead of him.”

Lewis played defensive end and linebacker in high school, but his height and long arms make him a natural fit at end for the Razorbacks.

He’s part of a talented group of defensive newcomers that have already impressed coaches less than a week into fall practice. Arkansas defensive ends coach Steve Caldwell called Lewis, Deatrich Wise and JaMichael Winston “some of the best-looking kids I’ve ever coached as freshmen.”

Lewis was one of four Ridgeway players to sign with SEC schools in February, a group that included offensive lineman Cordale Boyd, who joined Lewis as a Razorback.

Running back Jaylen Walton signed with Ole Miss and Sheldon Dawson signed with Georgia as an athlete.

Lewis said having friends going through a similar recruiting process was a help.

“It was just pretty much pushing each other throughout high school,” said Lewis, one of the first members of the 2012 recruiting class to commit to Arkansas. “We would talk to each other about different schools, say what we liked or didn’t like.”

Lewis said he and Boyd still consider Walton and Dawson friends, despite their signing with rival schools, and they hope to see each other’s careers progress as league foes.

“I’m hoping we all get to be All-SEC,” Lewis said. “And we just keep going and end up in the NFL together.”

Lewis at a glance CLASS Freshman HEIGHT/WEIGHT 6-5, 235 pounds POSITION Defensive end

HOMETOWN Memphis LAST STOP Ridgeway High School

NOTEWORTHY Was a high school teammate with fellow Razorbacks signee Cordale Boyd, an offensive lineman. … Two other Ridgeway players signed with an SEC school. … Had 74 tackles, 11 sacks and 6 forced fumbles while leading Ridgeway to Tennessee’s Class 5A quarterfinals. … Also a standout basketball player for Ridgeway, receiving interest from Missouri State and Kent State.

Sports, Pages 17 on 08/07/2012