Unofficially nicknamed the "X-Man" within UNC circles, sophomore Xavier Lewis is quickly making a name for himself amongst college football's elite defensive lineman.
Lewis, a Raleigh native who totaled just eight tackles for the Tar Heels (3-2, 1-1 ACC) in 2025, is an impact starter in the trenches. Through six weeks, Lewis leads the ACC with 10 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks, which both rank highly amongst national leaders.
Could 2026 get any better for Lewis? The answer: yes. On Wednesday, Lewis earned himself a spot on the Lombardi Award Midseason Watch List.
This award is annually given to the top lineman in college football, an honor which Lewis continues proving himself worthy of. Former Texas Tech linebacker and now Miami Dolphins starter
Jacob Rodriguez won this award in 2025, while former Texas offensive tackle and current New Orleans Saints lineman Kelvin Banks Jr. won in 2024.
Thanks to his performance during North Carolina's 21-17 upset of a ranked Pitt squad, Lewis earned himself ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week honors, stuffing the stat-sheet with 12 tackles (career high), a TFL, deflected pass and half a sack. Lewis previously earned this honor after UNC's season-opening, 15-10 upset of TCU in Ireland.
Xavier Lewis has been named to the Lombardi Award Midseason Watch List, recognizing the nation’s top college football linemen and linebackers 😤 pic.twitter.com/DergKRe1lw
— Carolina Football (@UNCFootball) October 14, 2026
The Tar Heels already entered this fall with the reigning ACC sack leader in Melkart Abou-Jaoude, but Lewis, Leroy Jackson and a combination of other trench stars are giving them another dangerous unit. North Carolina impacts results with its pass-rush, regardless of the outcome.
UNC's next test comes Saturday at archival Duke, with a 3:30 p.m. kickoff set from Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham. Will Lewis help his squad win back the Victory Bell and a tiebreaker in the conference standings?
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC defensive starter named to Midseason Award Watch List
