Shemar Stewart: The 5-star do-it-all defender recaps his latest ‘great’ visit to UGA
DawgNation Staff
Want to attack every day with the latest Georgia football recruiting info? That’s the Intel. This entry is about the latest with 5-star DL Shemar Stewart of Monsignor Pace High School in South Florida.
5-star DL Shemar Stewart is the type of player that can provide a lot of answers for any elite Power 5 defense that wants to stay that way for the next three seasons.
The wonder here is if Dan Lanning and Kirby Smart check out Stewart on film and start hearing sweet music in their head. Maybe even a classic John Legend song.
That’s because heaven only knows how good Stewart can get over the next few years in football.
Six feet. Six inches. 276 pounds. He shared those figures as his current weight.
Stewart told DawgNation this week that when the Georgia staff dials up what he can do for the ‘Dawgs with their pitch, the names Adam Anderson and Travon Walker are dropped.
Shemar Stewart: A few choice things to know about his decision
Stewart told DawgNation a few key things this week about his decision and the rest of his process. There was some headway made with his process back on August 26.
That’s when he released a top 5 of Clemson, Georgia, Miami, Ohio State and Texas A&M.
He plans to enroll with his next team in the spring. That would be in May or June of 2022. While on that subject, he said he did have the flexibility to graduate early and enroll in January of 2022.
That’s just not what he is planning to do at this time.
The Under Armour All-American game commitment has a set timeline for his decision. That has not changed over the last few months.
“I will be making my decision on National Signing Day in February,” he told DawgNation.
Georgia was fortunate enough to have both Stewart and his position coach Mo Marquez for the unofficial visit.
“Coach Moe is my D-line coach,” Stewart said. “He is like a father to me and pushes me on and off the field. He’s the guy usually with me on the visits.”
The Bulldogs are getting a good push from Lanning and Smart. Yet it will take more than that to sign a player like Stewart. David Cooper, the first-year Director of Recruiting Relations, stays in constant communication with Stewart.
Ryan Williams, another UGA staffer who works with quarterbacks and the offense, was also another key relationship Stewart mentioned he has with UGA.
Williams is known for wearing a beanie on the sidelines. It looks like Stewart adopted the same look for his unofficial visit.
As of now, Stewart said that he “thinks” that UGA will get an official visit. He’s not set on the timing on that one as of yet.
He doesn’t have any more unofficial visits planned as of now. He is currently pondering the chance to take an official visit to Ohio State for the Penn State game. There are a few reports out there that he has already made the decision to take an official for that game.
“Not certain yet,” Stewart said on Thursday.
Rolling through that tape: What we see from Shemar Stewart
DawgNation.com had an evaluation a few years ago for current FSU linebacker (and former Bulldog) Jermaine Johnson. The comparison used was the timeless Tetris video game.
We deemed him to be that I-shaped piece that made those four-line clears a reality. When we look at Stewart on film, there’s so much more there than what Johnson offered.
Google teaches us that the T-shaped piece is regarded as the “Smash boy” because of its versatility.
It is the ultimate piece. That’s the feeling we get here while evaluating Stewart. He has one of the longest reaches of any defensive end prospect in the class. It has been measured at over 80 inches.
Stewart, at 276 pounds, can square up the edge of a line just that T-shape. But he can also create a place for double teams to occur. That makes the other pieces in play so much more effective.
The 17-year-old prospect can be a foundational element of any defensive game plan. He can even get home and harass the passer.
The versatility shines here. Coaches at the elite Power 5 level have always wanted to find players that can win on the inside and the outside. That’s nothing new.
The real marvel here is we’re taking a look at a prospect with Stewart’s height and length and weight that can do that. Now throw in that foot speed and initial quickness. That’s where things get special.
The two-sport athlete (basketball and football) has a 40 time that has been measured in the 4.6 to 4.7 range.
Adam Anderson. Travon Walker. Smash boy. That just clearly brings to mind what we see with Stewart.
We just watch him play football and think of somebody putting those “Savage” shoulder pads on.
Watch how he can set the edge, close down and fill gaps and then get out on the edge here with some swiftness.
The way he plays the game probably calls for another Lil Baby and Lil Durk collab as the soundtrack instead of anything from the John Legend catalog.
He’s all that and at 276 pounds? Sheesh.
“I love making plays,” he said. “There is nothing better than a play ran perfectly. I also like getting better every time I touch the field.”
What motivates Shemar Stewart to be great
Stewart plays the game with great passion. He’s also a worker. The fact that he’s put about 30-40 pounds on his frame over the last few years is a testament to that.
That starts at home.
“My why is my family,” Stewart said. “The fact that I have a chance to change the trajectory of my family and create generational wealth.”
His dream? It is way out beyond the stars. He’s looking past the moon all the way out to Pluto. That’s as far as it can go.
“My dream is always to strive to be the best I can be and one day become a Hall of Famer,” Stewart said.
We document a lot of dreams in this space. We very rarely hear the idea of being a “Hall of Fame” one day come up.
What is he looking for with his college decision?
“I’m looking at making an immediate impact,” he said. “A place where the coaches can maximize my potential.”
As stated previously, the main positional emphasis right now from Georgia is to play the EDGE.
Stewart can combine the various strengths of what both Anderson and Walker do for Georgia. That said, this 5-star does not sound like he has a certain mentality where he will be locked into a certain position on Saturdays.
The goal is to go beyond the stars here. All the way past Pluto.
“I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make it to the next level,” Stewart said.
He will turn 18 years old in November and certainly looks nothing like that. This visit marked another great trip for Stewart to check out the Georgia program.
The thing to look for now is when Georgia might get that official visit. Since he’s waiting until National Signing Day in February, that might not even happen until January of 2022.
SENTELL'S INTEL
(check on the recent reads on DawgNation.com)
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Luther Burden III: A 5-star’s burden beyond whether he will commit to …