Big time sleeper emerges

One name that has flown under the recruiting radar until recently is that of Gainesville (Ga.) Riverside Military Academy Broderick Stewart, but it won’t last any longer. Hidden gems are uncovered regularly in the recruiting process, but make no mistake about it, this kid is special and college recruiters are just beginning to get the word of his talents.

“I really wasn’t getting a lot of attention until the NIKE camp,” Stewart said. “After that I got calls like every night. Some of the schools that called were Troy State, Michigan, Wake Forest, Clemson, Air Force, Army, Navy, Auburn and North Carolina.”

So far Stewart has no offers, but that is because his film is just now beginning to get out. Make no mistake about it, offers will begin to come rolling in for the Peach State sleeper.

“I am going to camp at North Carolina hopefully this summer and I’m supposed to go to one at Georgia Tech next month sometime,” Stewart said. “I have sen my interest pick up a lot lately and some schools just want to get my film or see me in camp before they offer.”

Stewart was impressive at the NIKE camp where he came in at 6-foot-4.5 and weighed 195 pounds. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.69 seconds. That may not look that impressive, but keep in mind it is the same time that Madison County, Fla. linebacker Eugene Hayes ran. Hayes boasts over 25 offers.

“My top schools right now are Georgia Tech, Tennessee, Auburn, NC State, Texas, North Carolina, Alabama and Arkansas,” Stewart said. “I am just a big football fan, but I grew up watching Georgia Tech the most. I also always kind of liked Alabama, Florida, Florida State and Tennessee.”

In addition to his impressive size, Stewart also did 14 reps on the bench press and has a max of 285 pounds on the bench and 400 pounds on squat. He had a vertical jump of 30 inches and ran the shuttle in 4.75 seconds.

“I’m looking for a school with a good engineering program,” Stewart said. “Distance is not going to be a big factor to me at all. I don’t care whether the school is in an urban area or in the suburbs, just as long as I like the school and campus. I would also like for the student-teacher ratio to be pretty high.”

A defensive end in high school Stewart is a little thin, but has the frame to add weight. He has a daunting inside linebacker’s build. He was an all-area selection and led his area in sacks and receiving yards as a junior.

He is also fully qualified academically with a 4.0 GPA and an impressive 22 on the ACT. He took the SAT on June 5th, but has not received the results yet.