ArDarius Stewart could bring all sorts of things to the Alabama offense in the future but, for now, it’s enough to know that the talented skill position player is in the fold for Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide. He signed his letter of intent Wednesday morning.
ArDarius Stewart signs with Alabama over Auburn
ArDarius Stewart led his team at quarterback in high school, but the four-star athlete could play any number of positions for Alabama.
Stewart’s recruiting process wasn’t a difficult one. The consensus four-star player has reportedly been an Alabama fan his whole life growing up in Birmingham, and he seized the opportunity to suit up for the back-to-back national champions, committing to the Crimson Tide last January with only an offer from Auburn at the time.
Stewart plays quarterback for Fultondale in Birmingham, Ala., and, despite some accolades -- Birmingham player of the year, Alabama back of the year as a junior -- he likely won’t play at that position at the next level. Scout has him listed as a wide receiver, and a good one, No. 10 in the class nationally.
Other services label him an “athlete,” with Rivals calling him the No. 3 athlete in the class -- the No. 66 overall player in the country. As Alabama blog Roll Bama Roll wrote after he committed, it’s not necessarily a bad problem for the team to have:
The Fultondale product plays quarterback on the prep level, where he won Back of the Year honors in Class 2A, but given his lack of height for that position and the lack of great arm strength, he is widely expected to change positions at the next level. Alabama has recruited him as an athlete, and while he has professed an interest to playing offense at the next level, Stewart could play tailback, wide receiver, or cornerback. He will need to bulk up to make a difference at the next level, but the raw athleticism is certainly there.
The good news for Alabama fans is that Stewart just adds to the team’s considerable depth in this recruiting class. They have talent at each of the positions Stewart could conceivably play, with three four-star running backs (Derrick Henry, Tyren Jones, and Altee Tenpenny), four-star wide receivers (Robert Foster and Raheem Falkins) and a four-star cornerback in Maurice Smith. They won’t need Stewart at quarterback, with four-star Cooper Bateman and three-star Parker McLeod in the class already.
Recruitment timeline: Stewart committed to Alabama early, back in January 2012.
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