The big tailback from St. Rita has been a workhorse all season. Stewart stands at 6’0 and weighs 217 lbs. He has tallied double digit touchdowns on the year. He possesses a downhill and powerful running style that makes it nearly impossible for a single defender to bring him down. Stewart hits the hole in a hurry and punishes anyone trying to tackle him, often falling forward for extra yards at the end of plays. Don’t sleep on his speed either, as Stewart has the ability to outrun pursing defenders in the open field. Lookout for Stewart’s physicality all night come Friday.

College teams looking for a bigger back should tap into the tape of Derrick Stewart Derrick Stewart 6'0" | 230 lbs | RB St Rita | 2024 State IL . The senior has plenty of highlights showing him making the game changing big plays, but the main reason why teams should be intrigued is because of the clips showing his physicality that matches the size. Stewart is unphased by high body tackle attempts or arm tackles. The big back is able to absorb contact, and his low center of gravity keeps him balanced allowing his feet to keep churning. Derrick is a tone setter to watch.

The 6′ 215 lbs RB out of St. Rita is the most punishing runner available in the state of Illinois. Derrick is a north-south runner who has no hesitation if he has to run right through the chest of an LB to get to where he wants to go. It almost feels like Stewart is seeking out contact and imposing his will on the defense. Derrick definitely looks like the hammer through all his highlights. The big back has a powerful lower body that also gives him reliable balance so he can gain yards after running through arm tackles. He is a force that will thrive in short yardages and setting the tone of the offense.

We’re heading back to the offensive side of the ball but moving into the backfield for our next PRzIL 2024 hardest hitter. At 6′, 230 lbs., St. Rita rising senior RB Derrick Stewart Derrick Stewart 6'0" | 230 lbs | RB St Rita | 2024 State IL packs a heckuva wallop and brings a rare physical presence to the RB position. Playing against some of the best competition Chicago and Illinois have to offer, Stewart set an aggressive and explosive tone for his offense at the point of attack that I’m sure his OL loves to block for and emulate. Stewart posted 233 carries for 1,362 yards and 9 TDs in 2022, and those were tough yards, as the 230 lber. is a classic downhill, North-South runner who seeks out and dominates through contact with the ball in his hands. He’s able to absorb and deliver hits like a varsity RB against middle schoolers, which is how he makes would-be tacklers look in his junior highlights. Stewart’s so strong that kids bounce off him like those internet videos of two people running into each other with exercise balls, sending them backward and onto their butts or off their feet while looking like he’s on a simple walk through the park. He’s got a truck stick like a F250 Super Duty and also shows off solid burst for his size, balance, and a nose for the endzone, and a knack for finishing runs. You won’t find RBs who can move like him at his size too often, and the skillset will at the very least land him short-yardage opportunities at the next level. However, he absolutely has the ability to be a featured back in an offense, and with different programs running different running attacks, I think it’ll be vital for him to find the right place to call home at the next level. Right now, Valpo and MSU-Mankato are his lone offers, but that’ll quickly expand if he can continue his physical dominance in his senior film. No matter what, don’t get in Stewart’s way, he’ll make ya pay!

2022 Season Stats:1362 Rushing Yards – 104.8 Yards Per Game – 5.8 Yards Per Carry – 9 TouchdownsrnDerrick on of the leading producers of yards in the state of Illinois for his class. When picking through the boards his stats jumped out to me with him surpassing the century mark 8 times throughout the entire season. With him averaging over 5 yards a carry, he has proven to be good for a first down almost every other time he has the ball in his hands. On tape, Derrick is a hard runner between the tackles who runs with forceful intention. With his size and strength, Derrick has no problem buldozing over defenders with the ball in his hands. Not only can Derrick lay the wood when he needs to, but he has a strong burst as well. With his speed, he is capable of breaking away on long runs when there is enough space for him to do so. St. Rita has an absolute stud in their backfield, and I am excited to see him go to work for his senior season.

Finishing off this article, we’re diving into Mr. Stewart who was a man on a mission in his matchup against Mt Carmel. This young man’s downhill style running was one to watch as he continued to play through contact not being afraid to lower his shoulder and keep his feet driving through contact. There are countless plays where he was met in the hole and broke the initial tackle to keep the chains moving. From this performance, he finished the night with 32 carries for 131 rushing yards and even had the announcers raving about his performance. All in all, this is an up and coming halfback that can be used as a power back taking a high amount of snaps each game. Twitterrn 

Mr. Stewart came onto my radar last season and I got the chance to see him LIVE in action during last season’s State Championship game. Fast forwarding to this season and he’s taken over as the lead back for St. Rita and there’s no surprise why. This young man has a good frame standing at 6’0 225 that does a good job maintaining his low center of gravity when breaking weak grab tackles to play through contact. Once he does so he can turn on the foot quicks to break a long run and flashes his lateral quickness to turn the corner after he bounces plays outside. This is a downhill style runner that has good vision and can play through contact. Keep an eye on this young man as we head into the playoffs. Twitter