Hurricanes’ head coach Manny Diaz extended an offer to St. Lucie West Centennial 2020 DE Jamari Stewart last Friday. Although Miami just recently offered, there has been contact between the two dating back to October 2018.
“Towards the end of our football season, my head coach was telling me that they wanted me to come down for a game when they played Duke, but we had our homecoming on that same exact day. Then they invited me for the Miami vs. Pittsburgh game and I was on the field. They were showing me around a little bit. Then once Manny Diaz got the job, they sent Mr. (Joel) Rodriguez down. I spoke with Mr. Rodriguez when he came to my school and later on I spoke to Mr. Diaz and he gave me the offer.”
Miami is the biggest school to offer Stewart so far so he was obviously very excited.
“I was speechless. Miami is a big school so it was awesome. I was excited. I see it as God’s gift and a huge blessing.”
Stewart has liked what he has seen from Manny Diaz in the short time that he has been in charge of Miami.
“He’s making big moves. I see big things happening in Miami’s program.”
Miami D-Line coach Jess Simpson, the man who will be spearheading Stewart’s recruitment, is already building a relationship with the junior defensive lineman.
“He’s a nice guy. He’s supposed to be coming down within the next few weeks.”
Stewart is friends with Miami signee Jahfari Harvey, who also played high school football up in the Treasure Coast.
“I’ve known Jahfari for a while now because we are from the same area. He was telling me that the reason that he committed and the reason that he is there is because of the love they give him and the love they showed him. He likes Manny Diaz.”
Miami has had one of the top defenses in the country over the past few years and this has not gone unnoticed with recruits like Stewart.
“Defensively, Miami has dogs. That’s how I see it. They are all ready to eat.”
As for a deciding factor in his recruitment, Stewart just wants to feel wanted.
“I don’t want to go to a school based on a name, I want to go to a school based on the love that they are showing me.”
Stewart (listed at 6’4”, 215) has big plans for his senior season and all of that starts with how he attacks this offseason.
“I personally want to get my size up. I want to get big because I know I can. That’s my personal goal. Also, I want to win the championship this year. Last year we made it to the playoffs, but we got knocked out first round so it just made us even hungrier.”
Stewart will sign with the school of his choice in about 12 months, but he has other goals than just that on his mind for 2019.
“Just keep my grades up and make it out of high school, to be honest. The family I come from, a lot of my family didn’t even go to college.”
Miami’s staff has told Stewart that they want him to visit sometime during the spring, but no date has been set yet.
