Brad Stewart to Florida: Gators Land 4-Star CB Prospect

A star cornerback has the ability to transform an entire secondary, so the Florida Gators have to be ecstatic about landing 4-star prospect Brad Stewart on Saturday. 

Stewart announced his decision on Twitter:

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Gotors take care of gators... Truly a blessing to be apart of the family #BDN pic.twitter.com/xgTsOkuv27

—  (@B_Stew5) January 29, 2017"

A Louisiana native, Stewart is one of the prized defensive backs in the 2017 recruiting class. He's ranked as the No. 1 cornerback from his home state, which produces great football talent every year, the No. 15 cornerback in the nation and the No. 128 overall player in this year's class, per Scout.com rankings. 

While not in the Richard Sherman category of freakishly tall cornerbacks who can run with wide receivers, Stewart is a tall defensive back at 6'1" and lanky (194 lbs) with the arms to make recovering on the rare occasions he gets beaten easier. 

Scout.com also praised the versatility Stewart brings to a defensive backfield:

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Stewart is a versatile defensive back with a good frame. He is one who could play corner, nickel or safety on the collegiate level. His has shown the ability to play deep and cover ground or line up in coverage at the line of scrimmage. His is more of a physical corner who likes to jam receivers. His footwork and explosiveness out of his breaks can improve when in coverage. He has flashed good recovery speed.

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The job of cornerbacks continues to evolve as the passing game continues to take over the sport. Stewart's ability to play up at the line or move back in zone instantly gives him a leg up over a lot of high school players transitioning into college.

Florida's hallmark of stout defensive units, particularly in the secondary, figures to continue with the addition of Stewart. 

Head coach Jim McElwain comes from an offensive background and is still recruiting his players on that side of the ball going into his third year. The Gators are still riding the wave of defensive talent brought on during the Will Muschamp era.

While offense remains a priority if Florida is going to challenge for national titles again, Stewart joins a list of excellent cornerbacks the school has churned out recently like Teez Tabor, Vernon Hargreaves and Jaylen Watkins. 

Until Florida builds a strong offensive unit, its success will come through defense. Stewart's addition ensures the Gators will continue to be among the nation's elite on that side of the ball. 

Stewart is still a developing prospect who needs to work on his natural tackling ability and coming out of his breaks, but his combination of size, athleticism and body control pushes him into the elite category of prospects.

His commitment to the Gators gives them a foundation piece in the secondary to build around. He's physically ready to play right away as a true freshman, especially since his weaknesses aren't glaring problems. 

Cornerbacks are hard to come by, especially since teams often need to employ a nickel defense because of the wealth of three- and four-receiver sets. Stewart can lock down the best outside players on the opposing sideline. He changes the dynamic for his team and helps shift the balance of power in the SEC.

Recruiting info courtesy of Scout.com unless otherwise noted.