SUPER EXCITED to say I’ve received my 20th offer from THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY!!⭕️ @taverj pic.twitter.com/E80c76oYhj— Ian Stewart (@ianstewart219) September 26, 2018
Ian Stewart Puts Buckeyes in Top-Seven Michigan wide receiver Ian Stewart announced his top-seven via Twitter on Sunday night, and one of the seven teams was Ohio State. Also included were Penn State, West Virginia, Michigan State, Kentucky, Louisville and Purdue. Stewart has made two visits to Ohio State in the last few weeks, including a visit on March 23 during the Student Appreciation Day event followed by a mid-week visit the following week. Ohio State likes Stewart as a safety, and he would be an above-average-sized player at that position. His frame is already measured at 6-foot-3, 200 pounds. Adding weight to him could make him a threat in not only pass coverage but also in stopping the run. Stewart is open to the possibility of playing either offense or defense and has been since the beginning of his recruitment, when he posted separate film reels for offense and defense on HUDL.com. The No. 541 overall player in the 2020 class plays all over the field. He’s on the field for offense, defense and special teams, and within those sides of the ball, he plays a versatile role as well. He’s taken snaps at quarterback, lined up as a running back and moves out in motion as a receiver in a smashmouth-type of offense. He plays different roles in punt-blocking and kickoff coverage, and on defense, he mostly lined up in a position similar to the bullet that Ohio State is introducing.
Ian Stewart Likes to "Smack People" and "Crack Dudes" Earlier this week, three-star 2020 Michigan prospect Ian Stewart announced his top-seven, which included Ohio State. Stewart also included West Virginia, Kentucky, Purdue, Penn State, Louisville and Michigan State. What makes Ohio State’s recruitment of Stewart unique to the No. 18 Michigan recruit is that, while he's classified as a wide receiver and most schools are recruiting him as such, the Buckeyes like him at safety and potentially as a candidate for the bullet position. That approach is actually what made Stewart include Ohio State in his cut list. “The thing that I really like about Ohio State is they want me to play defense,” Stewart said. “We’re still getting stronger, getting to know each other more, but they like me a lot.” The No. 541 player overall in the 2020 class made two visits to Ohio State within a week of each other in late-March, one for the March 23 event and the second as a mid-week visit. Stewart said the idea behind taking two visits so close together was because the first one was meant to get Stewart back around campus and the facilities. He hadn't been in Columbus since making two visits during the season. In that first visit during spring practice, he was able to become more familiar with the Woody Hayes Athletic Center and watch a full practice, as well as sit down with co-defensive coordinator Greg Mattison and watch film. On the second visit, he watched film with co-secondary coach Jeff Hafley. What the coaches like about him is his unusual athleticism and ability play tall – at 6-foot-3 – within both the passing game and the running game. He didn’t play much defense until his sophomore season in 2017. Now that he has two years of defense under his belt, he appreciates that side of the ball. “I like to come down into the box and smack people,” Stewart said. “And in this role, you can still score the ball and get interceptions because you can play in coverage, but you’re almost like a linebacker cracking dudes. That’s what I like to do.” He plays wide receiver and has lined up in the backfield as both a running back and a quarterback, but he has developed into a quality outside linebacker, where he began receiving offers after his sophomore year. That sparked his interest in defense. He’s also been in contact with Mattison for more than a year, dating back to when Mattison was at Michigan, so he’s carried that relationship into Ohio State as well. While he hasn’t started thinking about his official visits too much, he said he does want to commit to a school before his senior season begins.
2020 3* WR Ian Stewart (6'3 185lbs) has committed to #MichiganState #V4MSU. Stewart choose #MSU over offers from Ohio State, Penn State, West Virginia and Michigan. pic.twitter.com/wCfk5faZxU— Rico Beard (@RicoBeard) May 19, 2019