NOTE: Kansas State has elected to advance players’ classification even though the 2020 season did not affect eligibility. Those who wish to take advantage of this extra year will be listed as a (“super”) senior again after their original eligibility would have been exhausted.

Goal No. 5: BE TOUGH. Mentally and physically.

#5 Jaren Lewis

Redshirt Junior | 6-1 | 206 lbs. | Columbia, Missouri

Courtesy Kansas State Athletics

• Position: Quarterback
• Previous College: None
• Projection: Third-String
• Status: On Scholarship

Jaren Andre Lewis (b. July 30, 2000) is a highly regarded dual-threat quarterback majoring in social sciences who redshirted in 2019 and did not see any game action in 2020.

He enters 2022 again in a three-way battle with Will Howard and Jake Rubley to be Adrian Martinez’s backup.

Lewis finally saw his first career action in 2021, playing in four games as a reserve QB. He threw for 154 yards and a touchdown on 12-of-23 aim, while he rushed five times for 3 yards.

Lewis played a majority of the game at Oklahoma State, throwing for 148 yards, which included a 55-yard touchdown pass, and earned first-team Academic All-Big 12 accolades.

It is possible that, had Skylar Thompson not returned last season, Lewis may have ended up beating out Will Howard as the new starter. His game seems more analogous to Martinez’s, so this could still happen if Martinez is unfortunate enough to suffer another injury in 2022.

Lewis prepped under head coach Justin Conyers at Battle High School in Columbia, Missouri, where he picked up second-team all-state honors as a senior in 2018 from the Missouri Football Coaches Association after he threw for 2,895 yards and 25 touchdowns, rushed for 700 yards and 11 scores, and led the Spartans to the Class 5 state semifinals.

He earned all-district honors as both a junior and senior, the former when he threw for 1,962 yards and 21 touchdowns, and rushed for 980 total yards in his career.

Lewis also played baseball in high school, earning academic all-state honors.

He selected K-State over offers from Eastern Kentucky, Indiana State, North Dakota State, Northern Iowa, South Dakota State and Tennessee-Martin, as well as interest from Arkansas, Arkansas State, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota State, Southern Illinois, Tennessee and Wyoming.

Lewis allegedly has the strongest arm on the team (although true freshman Adryan Lara and a surgically repaired Martinez may challenge him); it’s his consistency that’s held him back.