Lake Zurich DE Jackson Lewandowski can ‘blow things up’ for offenses, yet Division I prospect is new to it

As a football player, Lake Zurich junior defensive end Jackson Lewandowski is straight out of central casting.

Lewandowski, whose father, Joe, was an offensive lineman in the Arena League and is an assistant for the Bears, has a tightly cropped buzz cut and a muscular 6-foot-3, 235-pound frame.

“From my earliest memories, I remember playing football,” Lewandowski said. “I was always playing catch with my dad and played every position growing up. I watched football whenever I could, and it’s the biggest thing in my life. I think about it all the time. There are so many things to think about.”

Lewandowski has had plenty to think about since he last played in Lake Zurich’s 24-21 loss to Nazareth in the Class 6A quarterfinals last year. College coaches have visited, and he has attended a variety of showcase camps, allowing him to demonstrate his strengths.

Lewandowski, who has offers from Toledo and Miami of Ohio, thinks one trait in particular stands out as the Bears prepare to play Fremd at home in the season opener on Aug. 21.

“My speed,” he said. “I feel like for what I am, I’m pretty fast. That’s one of my most valuable things for recruiting. That’s my favorite thing to do when I go to a camp — run.”

Lewandowski has also benefited from being able to focus more on defensive end after initiating a position switch from the offensive line before last season. As a first-year varsity player at a new position, he was very productive — posting a team-high five sacks and 27 tackles, including eight for a loss — but was only scratching the surface.

“He’s the biggest guy on the field, and he’s so versatile,” Lake Zurich senior linebacker Brock Rubicz said. “He makes it easy for our coaches to scheme around, especially when we go against teams that have a special player. If they have a great offensive lineman or running back, we can flip him to that side and let him blow things up.”

It took a little while for Lewandowski to do that last season. After missing the playoffs in 2024, the Bears opened against Fremd, and Lewandowski had to tangle early and often with Northwestern recruit Owen Jakubczak. Fremd, which also featured Northwestern recruit Johnny O’Brien at quarterback, won 35-3.

“He gave me a good look, and that was a wake-up call,” Lewandowski said of Jakubczak. “My first plays at varsity, my first plays at D-line, and I had to go against that big fella.

“I was working my moves, but their quarterback was slinging it pretty good, so I wasn’t getting back there fast enough. That was a tough matchup, but it made me better.”

Seven days later, Lewandowski recorded his first varsity sack shortly after he jumped offside during Lake Zurich’s 33-0 win over Antioch.

“My false start messed up the whole thing, but I got a sack going the other way, and it totally changed the trajectory of the game,” he said. “It was late in the game, so it meant a lot.”

Lewandowski also played some at tight end last year, and it’s not hard to imagine him having an enhanced role at that position this season. As a blocker, he can boost any run play, and the same speed he shows coming off the edge on defense makes him an appealing target on pass routes.

“I was put into a spot to succeed on both sides of the ball by coaches because everything was new for me,” Lewandowski said. “We had a lot of seniors playing, so I had a lot of help and guidance. I would congratulate my teammates and coaches, not myself.

“Competition in practice was good. Everyone was better around me. Iron sharpens iron.”

Lewandowski’s tight ends coach last season was Dragan Teonic, who represents the biggest change for everyone associated with the program as the new head coach. Teonic replaces Ron Planz, who left to become the heir apparent at Barrington after seven successful seasons at Lake Zurich. Teonic previously was the coach at Harper College, Hersey, Larkin and South Elgin.

“It’s an honor and a privilege to lead this program because I have a lot of respect for the school and the community,” Teonic said. “The kids who play here have that hard-nosed mentality, and there’s a toughness ingrained in them. Many of my other jobs were buildups, but this isn’t one of those. We’re already built to win.”

The Bears don’t return any offensive starters, so there’s work to be done on that side of the ball. But six prominent players from Lake Zurich’s defensive box are back, including leading tacklers Rubicz and Arturo Zarinana.

Of course, there’s also Lewandowski.

“He’s long and has a great first and second step,” Teonic said. “He’s a really explosive kid who always finds a way to get to the football.”

With more experience, Lewandowski may find his way to the highest levels of college football.

“He’s going to get bigger, stronger and faster, and seems to have a pretty good football IQ,” Joe Lewandowski said. “He definitely has a high ceiling. I can’t wait to see how this all shakes out.”

Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.