Potential Tackle Replacement Making Official Visit this Weekend

West Virginia’s offensive line was a weak point on offense this season.

The interior was made up of young players who had did not have a lot of playing experience. The line will only continue to get younger as senior tackles Colton McKivitz and Kelby Wickline are both graduating. Because of this, WVU is targeting a junior college tackle from ASA College, Tairiq Stewart.

Stewart is making an official visit to WVU this weekend, he said he is looking for a family atmosphere.

“I’m expecting to see if Morgantown really is what everybody says it is,” Stewart told WVSN. “The slogan is ‘take me home’ I want to see that. I’m making my second official visit, I want to see what West Virginia has to offer.”

Stewart said the family aspect is important to him because football does not last forever.

“They need to show me they genuinely care about their players because some universities that have big programs, it’s not that,” Stewart said. “The money doesn’t come into play until you play professionally, most people don’t think about life after football. It could be over the second I step off the plane and twist my ankle.”

Stewart played both guard and tackle at ASA but said the WVU coaching staff wants him specifically as a tackle to replace either McKivitz or Wickline. Stewart is 6-foot-6, 315 pounds, a size he said the WVU coaching staff thinks is perfect. Stewart said he went to ASA at 385 pounds and he had to get the weight off one way or another.

Other than West Virginia, Stewart visited Toledo last weekend and said he is also considering Florida International and Florida Atlantic.

He said WVU appealed to him because of the history.

“First of all, being the 14th most winningest program in all of college football that’s just a piece of what they’ve done,” Stewart said. “The players that have gone through there, with some of the baggage some players carried, they’ve turned into great people along with being great football players.”

Stewart said he is not planning on signing next Wednesday on Dec. 18, but rather wait until the second signing period in February.