Pace’s Shemar Stewart — the No. 1 recruit in Florida — talks Miami, LSU and summer plans
Shemar Stewart isn’t in any sort of rush to make a college decision, even though just about every school in the country is about to ramp up their overtures for the five-star defensive end.
The Miami Hurricanes want to get him on campus as soon as the dead period ends in June. The LSU Tigers already have him lined up to take an official visit later in the spring. His top 10 is a who’s who of national powerhouses and programs on the rise.
After more than a year of waiting, Stewart is finally ready to look at some schools
“A good environment, good coaches and good educational facilities,” Stewart said when asked what he’s looking for with visits getting ready to begin again.
In June, he’ll finally be able to start once the NCAA’s 14-month dead period finally comes to an end and few players in the nation have a more loaded list of suitors than Stewart, who’s the No. 1 recruit in Florida, according to the 247Sports.com composite rankings.
Miami wants to bring him to Coral Gables for its cookout on the first day of June, but Stewart said he’s not sure yet whether he’ll be there. LSU is ready to bring him to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on the first weekend of June for Stewart’s first official visit.
The 6-foot-5 junior also plans to check out the Ohio State Buckeyes, Clemson Tigers, Georgia Bulldogs and maybe the Alabama Crimson Tide this summer, he said. Stewart has also mentioned the Texas A&M Aggies in the past.
While Stewart currently plans to wait until National Signing Day in 2022 to make his college choice, LSU will get the first chance to make a major impression on the defensive lineman later in the spring. LSU coach Ed Orgeron is heading up Stewart’s recruitment, which stands out to the elite prospect from Miami Gardens Monsignor Pace.
For the Hurricanes, DeMarcus Van Dyke is the primary contact point. The new cornerbacks coach is a Miami Gardens Monsignor Pace alumnus and uses it as a way to relate to Stewart.
“I talk to them every other day. I talk to coach Van Dyke. He hits me up whenever,” Stewart said. “He’s a real cool guy. He always keeps it real with me.”
Stewart has also started to get to know new defensive line coach Jess Simpson, who returned to Miami in January after spending two seasons as the Atlanta Falcons’ defensive line coach.
Stewart never met Simpson during the assistant coach’s first stint in South Florida in 2018, but he likes Simpson’s NFL background.
“We’ve talked a couple times,” Stewart said. “He knows his stuff.”
Stewart said it’s “of course” a big deal to see the Hurricanes potentially have three defensive ends drafted on the first two days of the 2021 NFL Draft. They also could potentially have plenty to offer from an academic standpoint — Stewart isn’t sure what he wants to major in, but he said he does like marine biology and Miami has a top program.
The plan for Stewart, though, is obviously to make it to the NFL.
The son of Jamaican parents, Stewart wasn’t a big sports fan growing up until he was in fourth grade, and a substitute teacher noticed how big he was and pushed him to try football. Stewart showed up to his first practice in jean shorts and Air Jordans and went through a miserable first experience.
Still, he stuck with football and blossomed once he reached middle school. As soon as he got to high school, Stewart started pulling in scholarship offers and then broke out with 15 sacks in 10 games as a sophomore.
Last year, injuries plagued Stewart in a shortened season, so he spent the winter mostly just trying to get healthy. He’s now up to 266 pounds, he said, and would actually like to shed 10 by the time he gets to college.
His physique and production makes him a fascinating weapon for any defensive coordinator to work with. He could wind up being a defensive end and outside linebacker or a defensive end who could kick inside to defensive tackle.
All options are on the table and Stewart is ready to start sorting through them.
