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Utah football commit Darrien Stewart a perfect fit for Utes’ defense
Desert Pines senior Darrien Stewart is a three-star safety looking to bring his big-hit ability to the University of Utah. (Courtesy: @cba_darrien/Twitter)

Utah football commit Darrien Stewart a perfect fit for Utes’ defense

LAS VEGAS (BVM) – Desert Pines High School is the home of six of Nevada’s top 20 football players in the Class of 2021. Tiaoalii Savea (uncommitted), Michael Jackson III (USC), Braezhon Ross (Jackson State), Malik Brooks (Fresno State), and Fatafehi Vailea (North Texas) highlight a Jaguars squad that has more elite talent than some entire counties.

Darrien Stewart is also among this group, checking in as the state’s No. 7 prospect, and has managed to stand out despite being surrounded by Division I prospects. The three-star safety models his game after stars at the position like Kam Chancellor and Jamal Adams, and Stewart already has the frame to duplicate his idols’ playstyle.

At 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, Stewart has the size to match up with tight ends from his safety position, and the physicality to play in or around the box and deliver big hits. The senior certainly has the speed, athleticism and ball skills required to fly around the defensive backfield, but it’s Stewart’s reckless abandonment with which he plays that sets him apart.

“I can hit; I’m not afraid to put my body out there,” Stewart said.

https://twitter.com/cba_darrien/status/1230601610906062849

While Stewart is more than capable of delivering a big blow to receivers and ball carriers, he knows that ability alone does not lead to playing time at the next level and beyond. Luckily, Stewart has had Jackson III, Nevada’s No. 1 wide receiver, to do battle with at practice. 

It’s hard to fool Stewart, Jackson III said, because of the safety’s great understanding of the game, change of direction and recovery speed. 

“Darrien is a tall defensive back, he’s long and can hawk you down,” Jackson III said. “He’s special in that aspect just using his length and speed which gives him that advantage over people.

“We definitely made each other better. I would win some reps, he would win some and it’s just iron sharpening iron. The more mistakes we make individually, the more we can correct those mistakes which ultimately makes us better.”

It’s one thing to play alongside such talented players on defense, but it’s an entirely different situation to be challenged by one the nation’s best wideouts as a safety on a daily basis.

The constant back and forth has paid dividends for Stewart’s game.

“It was great battling MJ (Jackson III) because he’s one of the top wide receivers in the country and the best in the state so he brought the best out of me,” Stewart said. “It made me a better player especially when I’d guard other wide receivers in games.

“I felt like there weren’t many wide receivers that could score or complete a pass on me.”

The University of Utah also hopes there aren’t many pass-catchers who can score on Stewart, as the senior committed to the Utes in September. Stewart chose Kyle Whittingham’s program over offers from UCLA, Washington State, West Virginia, Boise State and others.

The Jaguars’ senior will join a pair of four-star linebackers, Ethan Calvert (California) and Mason Tufaga (Hawaii) among others, in Utah’s 2021 recruiting class that ranks 34th nationally.

Stewart will begin his collegiate journey within driving distance of his Las Vegas home where he’ll hope to be a foundational piece of a perennially strong defense.

“I felt like Utah would be the best decision for me showing my skills at different positions,” Stewart said. “I wanted to play for one of the best defenses in the country and compete at a high level every weekend in the Pac-12.”