As a freshman at the University of Miami, Lewis was an immediate contributor and became a starter for the Hurricanes' final five games. He compiled 81 tackles, two sacks, two tackles for loss, and four pass deflections in route to being named to the freshman All-American team.
Ray led the Big East in tackles his final 2 seasons and accumulated the 5th most in Miami history despite playing only 3 seasons.
After the 1995 season, Lewis decided to forgo his final year of college eligibility and enter the NFL draft. In the 1996 NFL Draft, he was selected in the first round by the Baltimore Ravens with the 26th overall pick.