Stewart stepping up in spring

Ask defensive coordinator Tony Gibson his surprise of the spring so far and the name JoVanni Stewart rolls off his tongue almost immediately.

The sophomore saw action primarily on special teams during his freshman season but has continued to flash on film daily due to his effort that he brings to the practice field every snap.

“I like the way he’s playing right now at safety and I think he can help us if he continues to develop and do what he’s doing,” Gibson said. “I think he can help us if he continues to do what he’s doing.”

While Gibson expected solid efforts out of several key pieces to his defense this spring, Stewart has somewhat caught him by surprise because of the combination of his limited experience and the fact that he didn’t know what to expect out of him. But every day he continues to display his on the field intelligence and is working his way into a role as at worst a quality depth piece for the Mountaineers.

This spring Stewart, who stands only 5-foot-8, 192-pounds, has shown many of the same qualities that made the highly productive, yet under recruited high school prospect a target for the program. While he lacks in some areas, the Texas native makes up for it in others.

And while it might have surprised some, his position coach Matt Caponi is not one of those. While some players have to be pushed to learn how to properly practice, Stewart entered the program with that edge and takes each snap seriously as he would a game situation.

“He’s a smart football player. He does what he’s coached to do and he’s pushing all of the right buttons right now,” Caponi said.

Part of that jump is to be expected as players adjust to college football and the structure of what is required and what they have to do in order to see the field. But he’s also done his homework in learning the scheme and putting himself in a position to take advantage of his opportunities as well.

West Virginia already has a trio of players penciled into the starting positions at the three safety positions heading into the season but is still in search of quality depth. Stewart could be an answer there as he is being trained at multiple spots and could provide some snaps off the bench.

While he started the spring at SPUR, Stewart is now transitioning into the free safety position to learn that spot and has some prior experience at the bandit spot as well. That means options and the pathway to seeing the field becomes much easier overall.

“As of right now we’re looking for him to help us contribute,” Caponi said.

Right now that could be 15-20 snaps a game as the Mountaineers look for help behind the three starters, or more depending on how things unfold.

But one thing is for sure, there won’t be a lot of need for motivation to get Stewart prepared for any role he receives.