Four-star safety DeShawn Stewart commits to Ohio State
COLUMBUS — Ohio State is on another recruiting run that isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
Four-star Wayne (N.J.) DePaul Catholic safety DeShawn Stewart has committed to the Buckeyes. The 6-foot, 185-pound Garden State talent is the No. 154 overall prospect and the No. 16 safety according to On3. That’s much higher than the On3 Industry Rankings which has Stewart as the No. 323 overall prospect and the No. 32 safety.
Stewart visited Ohio State a week ago for the first time in his recruitment and it was enough for him to know it was time to end his recruitment.
“I got the chance to look around the campus and facilities,” Stewart told Lettermen Row‘s Alex Gleitman. “I got to watch practice, eat with the coaches afterwards, spoke to Coach [Ryan] Day. It was the whole package.”
That relationship between him and Day, and safeties coach Matt Guerrieri has been paramount in the short, but impactful recruitment.
“Coach Day was saying how the best of the best come there, and that if I want to be the best, practice with the best,” he explained. “I felt that message because that’s my plan, to be the best at whatever I do.
“Coach Guerrieri, man, he talks as if he’s my coach already. I love him, everything about him. He tells me how I have the opportunity to make an impact on defense, being that I am versatile and can play all of the positions in their back end. I believe that in myself and can’t wait to get back up there. It truly felt like home to me.”
Stewart is the first win on the recruiting trail for Guerrieri, if you exclude landing Caleb Downs from the transfer portal. Ohio State is looking to add three more safeties with guys like Faheem Delane, Trey McNutt and Cody Haddad still out there.
The New Jersey prospect is the first safety committed to the Buckeyes’ top-ranked 2025 class. He is welcomed into the secondary by five-star Plus+ cornerback duo Na’eem Offord and Devin Sanchez, and four-star cornerback Blake Woodby.
Linebackers TJ Alford and Eli Lee, and edge rushers Zahir Mathis and London Merritt make up the front seven.
Five-star Bellefontaine (Ohio) quarterback Tavien St. Clair, four-star Toledo (Ohio) Whitmer offensive tackle Carter Lowe and Stewart’s teammate, wide receiver De’Zie Jones, round out the class for Ohio State.
The Buckeyes needed their first safety to get the ball rolling for the rest. DeShawn Stewart has committed to Ohio State.
