zach stewart showed enough promise to earn his first scholarship offer from tennessee almost nine months ago, and he believes he has continued to improve since then.
He now has some hardware to prove it.
The three-star junior offensive lineman from coalfield (tenn.) high school, who has been committed to the vols since april, won tennessees class a mr. Football lineman award monday, and he said he really stepped up my game offensively this season.
I mean, i became much more physical on the offensive line, and part of that was because of the offense we switched to at coalfield, said stewart, whos ranked by 247sports as the no. 11 overall prospect from the state of tennessee in the 2015 class. we switched to downhill running, and i think that helped me a lot.
but he also has continued to keep a close eye on his future team over the past several months, attending all but two of the vols home games this season, and he said his recent trips to knoxville have been even more exciting."
you know youre part of it now. Youre part of that family, he said. before you were on the outside looking in, hoping to get that offer, and i went in the first two or three times just hoping to get an offer. And once i got it, i mean, they really welcomed you with open arms like family, and thats one of the biggest reasons i committed.
on the direct the program is headed.
those guys played really hard, he said. and thats nothing against the players up there now, but those are not coach jones guys to run his offense with. The way he got those guys to play hard and the way the guys bought into what he was doing, if well do that these next few years with the talent theyve got coming in, in 2014 and we continue to develop this 2015 class, itll be a great, great deal for tennessee.
stewart said hes also working real hard on dylan jackson and brant mitchell two other knoxville-area standouts who hold offers from tennessee trying to convince them to join him in playing for the vols, and he has gotten to know a few of tennessees other current commitments for the 2015 class.
every time were at ut we talk me and (jones) and andrew butcher. Im pretty tight with them. And then, of course, preston williams, cecil cherry, i talk to all of them, too great guys, stewart said.
looking forward to building that class.
