MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Another day, another offensive line commitment for the West Virginia football program.
Not that anybody in the Puskar Center is complaining as the position was one of, if not the, biggest focuses on the recruiting trail down the stretch run. And it’s not hard to imagine why after the Mountaineers struggled mightily up front this past season.
After adding high school offensive lineman Jordan White Sunday, the Mountaineers plucked Brooklyn (N.Y.) ASA offensive tackle Tairiq Stewart from the junior college ranks. Stewart, 6-foot-6, 330-pounds, picked WVU over several offers including Tennessee, Boise State, Toledo and Maryland.
A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Stewart received an offer from the Mountaineers in the fall and immediately shot up his list due to the proximity to his hometown. Things only intensified as the process continued as offensive line coach Matt Moore prioritized him down the stretch.
After an official visit to Toledo, Stewart was on campus over the Dec. 13 weekend and that was enough to close his recruitment and offer his pledge to the Mountaineers football program.
Given his size and skill set, Stewart should challenge immediately for a role on the offensive line and given the fact he has a redshirt year in-tact is just another added benefit.
Stewart, a Rivals.com three-star prospect, will have three years to play two and will enroll at WVU after he graduates from ASA in May. He represents the fifth offensive lineman in the current recruiting class, all of which are expected to sign Wednesday except Council Bluffs (Ia.) Iowa Western C.C. offensive lineman Jacob Gamble who will need to finish up some coursework beforehand.
With 17 commitments in total, the Mountaineers are still in the hunt for several more down the stretch as WVU continues to close strong in Neal Brown’s first year atop the program.
