Georgia Tech's Brad Stewart stepping up his game

ATLANTA -- Brad Stewart's journey at Georgia Tech has been an interesting one.

Stewart, an all-state receiver at Benedictine in Savannah, was the final player in the 2015 signing class to receive a scholarship offer. He was going to walk on, with the promise of a possible scholarship when one came open. It happened prior to signing day, so Stewart was the beneficiary.

He was able to enroll early, participate in spring practice and earn playing time. Aided partially because of the lack of depth at the position and by his own ability to catch everything thrown his way, Stewart wound up playing all 12 games and making five starts. He had seven catches for 93 yards, third-best on the team among the wideouts.

This spring, he's further establishing himself as one of the players to watch when the season begins in the fall.

"The biggest thing is getting stronger and faster," Stewart said. "Last year, being a freshman, the game was a lot faster than high school. I'm feeling a lot more prepared as far as my speed and agility."

Stewart, a 6-foot-1, 197-pound sophomore, is projected as one of the two starters. He's still learning, particularly in the area of blocking, but his catching ability remains unquestioned.

"He's made a lot of strides off the field," Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson said. "He's gotten bigger and stronger. I'm sure his understanding is a lot better. For a freshman to come in like that, I'm sure it's like drinking out of a fire hose. It's coming at you faster than you can absorb it. I'm proud of the way he played, and I suspect he's going to be better than last year."

Stewart said, "I know what to expect now, and I want to have a bigger role. Going into spring and the offseason, it's going to be a lot of fun to see what I can accomplish."

The other starter will be Ricky Jeune, a 6-3, 212-pound junior, who made big strides last year. Jeune started all 12 games and caught a team-high 24 passes for a 21.7-yard average and four touchdowns.

"I'm up for a challenge, and I'm trying to get better every day," Jeune said.

There are plenty of spots open, with the unexpected departure late last season of Micheal Summers.

"I've been impressed with all of them," Jeune said. "Everybody is stepping up. Everybody is getting better. We'll see how it goes."

CHANGE OF SCENERY

Johnson cut practice short on Wednesday afternoon so he and the players could walk across the street to Mewborn Field and support the Georgia Tech softball team. The players stuck around and watched the game, but their presence and vocal support couldn't help the Yellow Jackets, who dropped a 15-0 decision to No. 10-ranked Georgia.

ACADEMIC NEWS

Georgia Tech's football, men's golf, men's swimming and volleyball teams were among the top 10 percent in the nation in Academic Progress Rates. The golf team has received the honor each year since its inception in 2006. The football team was also honored in 2012 and 2013.

This story was originally published April 14, 2016 at 5:05 PM with the headline "Georgia Tech's Brad Stewart stepping up his game ."