Georgia Tech wide receiver Brad Stewart was the last member of the 2015 signee class to receive a scholarship offer. He could be the first player in the class to start for the Yellow Jackets.
Injuries coupled with Stewart’s strong play in the preseason have created the possibility.
“It’s real possible,” coach Paul Johnson said Monday after practice. “If we played today, he’d start, with Mike (Summers) out.”
Micheal Summers, who has 19 career starts, is out with an undisclosed injury, as is walk-on Brandon Oliver. Neither is believed to be serious. Tech plays its season opener Sept. 3 against Alcorn State.
Johnson said there were only five available receivers at Monday’s practice, not counting walk-ons Jalen Saunders and Bennett Barton, whose services were required on the scout team.
The five are sophomores Ricky Jeune and Antonio Messick and first-year freshmen Harland Howell, Christian Philpott and Stewart. Jeune has been in line to start along with Summers. Philpott returned to practice Monday after an injury had kept him out of practice for several days. Regardless of Summers’ health, Stewart has clearly made a swift transition and made himself an option at a position lacking experience.
“He’s done some good things,” Johnson said of Stewart. “We need to get more consistent, more consistent with his responsibilities and plays, but, yeah, he’s made a lot of plays.”
Stewart received increasing attention at the end of his high-school season after helping Benedictine in Savannah to the state Class AA championship. He was intending to play at Yale prior to Tech’s scholarship offer.
About the Author
