5-Star DE Prospect Shemar Stewart Commits to Texas A&M over Georgia, Miami

Shemar Stewart, a 5-star defensive end from Opa Locka, Florida, committed to Texas A&M on Wednesday.

"I feel like we have the potential to be the best in the nation, especially in that front four," he said of A&M to Andrew Ivins of 247Sports. "I feel like if everything clicks and we come together as a team, I don't think anyone is going to be able to stop us."

Stewart is the No. 3 defensive lineman and No. 10 overall player in the 2022 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

Being a man among boys is a tired cliche, but it applies to Stewart. He's 6'6" and 272 pounds, so he almost looks out of place physically at the high school level. For context, Jadeveon Clowney was 6'5" and 255 pounds coming out of South Pointe High School in 2011, and Chase Young was 6'5" and 251 pounds before signing with Ohio State in 2017.

Barton Simmons of 247Sports evaluated Stewart in March and unsurprisingly rated him a 10 out of 10 in "frame."

He also graded the Monsignor Pace star as a nine out of 10 in point of attack, closing speed and athleticism while comparing him to Kansas City Chiefs star Chris Jones: 

"Long, lean, muscular defensive lineman with no bad weight, an imposing frame, long arms and thick lower half. Body type has the potential to continue to bulk up as a jumbo edge rusher or even kick inside long term given early stage of his development. Plays to his size on film. Brutish pass rusher that has an effective long-arm, can walk offensive tackles back to the quarterback and can win with speed. Has top end combine athleticism. Controls and sheds blocks effectively against the run. Has downfield speed in pursuit. Very limited nuance or finesse in his pass rush. Has some stiffness in space. Plays too high right now but can get away with it."

Simmons said Stewart has the potential to be a No. 1 pick in the NFL draft if he hits his ceiling.

Stewart owes some of his success to the fact that he can overpower opposing blockers, whether he's facing single- or double-teams. His advantage in that regard could wane in FBS, but he'll still have an edge in size and strength over a lot of offensive tackles and tight ends.

At worst, Stewart should become a very good pass-rusher who piles up a handful of sacks. If he can hone his technique, he can be a dominant All-American-type defender who wreaks havoc in the pocket on almost every play, much like Clowney and Young did.

Stewart is a massive addition for the Aggies defense in 2022 and beyond.

When he denied any interest in the LSU job, Jimbo Fisher pointed to the 2022 recruiting class as one reason why he was staying in College Station. 

The Aggies are first in 247Sports' composite team rankings with previous commitments from six 5-star players: wide receiver Evan Stewart, defensive lineman Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy, quarterback Conner Weigman, cornerback Denver Harris, defensive lineman Walter Nolen and edge defender Enai White. Now, Stewart is entering the mix.

An 8-4 regular season wasn't what fans expected, but 2022 could be a pivotal year for Fisher and A&M.