HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Champ Lewis doesn't make his approach to playing cornerback particularly complicated, and that approach has helped him become one of the toughest players for receivers to go against this summer.
Every time the Southern Miss senior steps across from a wide receiver, whether it's Jaylen Himes, Eelijah Singleton or, this weekend for the first time, an opponent on Saturday, Lewis carries the same expectation with him: just win. That competitive mindset helped the 6-foot, 185-pound Tulsa transfer establish himself during his first fall camp in Hattiesburg, and it has become part of the identity he hopes Southern Miss' secondary carries into the 2026 season.
Southern Miss cornerback Champ Lewis (1) is looking to have a big season for the Golden Eagles. | Josh Hous
According to head coach Blake Anderson, Lewis didn't have his strongest stretch of play during OTAs after spring camp, saying the talented cornerback got " a little comfortable " toward the end of spring. That resulted in Lewis temporarily sliding down the depth chart with a challenge from Anderson: "The way you're doing things isn't going to get you what you want."
Lewis took that to heart, cranked his intensity and attention to detail up a couple of notches, had a great fall camp, and now, he's listed as one of the starting cornerbacks on Southern Miss' Week 1 depth chart ahead of Saturday's opener against Alcorn State .
Southern Miss cornerback Champ Lewis (1) in action during fall camp. | Southern Miss Athletics
Lewis' competitiveness hasn't gone unnoticed by the players lining up across from him. Southern Miss wide receiver Eelijah Singleton recently identified Lewis as the toughest corner he's had to face throughout camp.
"Every time I go out there, I just go out there to win," Lewis said following the Golden Eagles ' final scrimmage of fall camp. "Against every receiver, Eelijah, whether it's Jay Rock ( Jaylen Himes ), no matter who it is, or even when we get to go against the opponent, I just go out there, and then I expect to win. ... Just win, for real. That's what I tell them every time we go out there. ... We want to be physical, but we want to win."
For Lewis, much of that battle takes place when the ball is in the air. He believes the Golden Eagles consistently defended the deep ball well throughout camp and have shown the ability to disrupt receivers at the catch point, which could become one of the secondary's strengths once games begin.
Southern Miss defensive backs during the first week of fall camp. | Josh House
Despite having a lot of questions going into camp, the Golden Eagles' secondary came into Week 1 of the season with the most clarity on the depth chart . That group didn't arrive at this point without some growing pains, though.
With defensive backs coming together from different programs and backgrounds, Lewis said much of fall camp was spent learning how everyone fit together. Competition accelerated that process, with Southern Miss cornerbacks coach Taveze Calhoun maintaining what Lewis described as a high standard that was set throughout camp.
"We learned a lot about each other, and really just the fact that we could go out and win against anybody, against the best of them," Lewis said. "I feel like as far as just going against the offense, we did pretty good, and I feel like we could go toe-to-toe with anybody. ... The ball's going to come to us. They might throw us some gifts every now and then, and we need to be able to take some."
The challenge against real opponents starts this week, as the Golden Eagles prepare for an Alcorn State team that likes to pass and has a quarterback in Jaylon Tolbert, who is a threat with his legs as well. Southern Miss is currently a little more than a three-touchdown favorite against Alcorn, but Coach Anderson said Monday that they aren't going to take any opponent lightly.
Southern Miss' football stadium was recently renamed Renasant Stadium after a 10-year, $13.7 million naming-rights deal with Renasant Bank. The longstanding nickname of "The Rock" will forever remain, though. | Josh House
For Lewis, Southern Miss offered more than another place to play his final season of college football.
The New Orleans native spent the previous portion of his career farther from home at Tulsa and at TCU before that. Choosing Southern Miss in the transfer portal over the offseason, Hattiesburg offered Lewis an opportunity to return to the South, compete for a significant role and play close enough for his family to be part of the experience.
"Southern Miss was just a great opportunity for me, exactly what I was looking for," Lewis said. "Not too far from home. My family gets to come ... so just for them to be able to come and show up for me, just easy access to them and just the opportunity to come and compete, be back down south, it was just a perfect situation."
After a fall camp spent competing, learning a new secondary and carving out his place within it, Lewis appears to be taking advantage of his opportunity to contribute in a bigger role, and if everything goes according to his expectations, he'll contribute to winning games too.
The Golden Eagles will officially kick off the 2026 season on Saturday, Sept. 5, at 4:00 p.m. CT. Fans who can't attend the game at Renasant Stadium , aka "The Rock," can watch it on ESPN+. Check back at Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI throughout the week for more football content leading into Saturday's opener.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/southernmiss as 'I Expect to Win': Champ Lewis Bringing Competitive Edge to Southern Miss Secondary .
