Why De’zie Jones, DeShawn Stewart want to continue New Jersey-to-Ohio State pipeline together

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At first, the idea of joining the same recruiting class was a source of amusement for DePaul Catholic High School teammates De’zie Jones and DeShawn Stewart.

The Wayne, New Jersey, natives grew up together, played youth football together and eventually developed into key pieces for DePaul Catholic’s football team together. Their recruitment, however, was separate.

“We would joke around and talk about it that we’d be with the same college and would be seeing each other for another four years,” Stewart, a 2025 four-star safety, told The Dispatch.

Neither was laughing when Ohio State opened the door to them both. Jones, a wide receiver, committed to Ohio State March 30, while Stewart followed on March 31 as the Buckeyes’ first safety in the class.

DePaul Catholic football coach Nick Campanile was unsurprised. He had long felt Jones and Stewart were destined to continue together at the next level.

“They just try (to) outwork one another and try to outdo each other at everything they can,” Campanile said. “It’s like the healthiest rivalry I’ve ever seen in that they not only compete with each other, but they push each other and they’re always so positive toward one another.”

What De’zie Jones brings to Ohio State 2025 class

St. Joseph Academy at DePaul Catholic in a NJSIAA Non-Public B football semifinal on Friday, November 18, 2022. DP #8 De’zie Jones celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the first quarter.

Campanile recalled that, because Jones was attending his eighth-grade graduation, he missed the meeting at which the team installed its offense. But it didn’t take long for Jones to catch up.

“He sat with our receiver coach for about 10 minutes,” Campanile said. “And our receiver coach … taught him the install within a matter of a very abbreviated meeting, a couple minutes. And he…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/why-dezie-jones-deshawn-stewart-100809967.html

Author : The Columbus Dispatch

Publish date : 2024-04-12 10:08:09

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