Grant

Stuard

Stuard was Mr. Irrelevant in the 2021 NFL Draft. As a rookie, Stuard saw most of his action on special teams where he earned a whopping 311 snaps. He forced one fumble while earning 15 combined tackles. Stuard will take on a larger role as a defender in Indianapolis, though he still projects as a backup.

Stuard is the final player drafted in 2021, making him Mr. Irrelevant -- a moniker equal parts brutal and endearing. Stuard (5’11/230) was a track star in high school, qualifying for the 2015 AAU Championships in the 4X100 relay. The two-star recruit showed versatility by playing safety for most of his Houston career while also recording five carries for 35 yards in 2018. He received second team All-AAC recognition as a nickel safety in 2019, and first team All-AAC accolades as a senior linebacker in 2020. He didn’t flash the coverage skills you’d expect from a converted safety, allowing 19 catches on 20 targets as a senior. The team captain lacks the physicality to take on blockers as his 73-inch wingspan inhibits his ability to hand fight.

Coming off of a season in which he racked up 97 tackles and earned second team all-conference honors, Stuard (6'1/225) made the transition from nickel to linebacker ahead of the 2020 campaign. And the senior has been good for the Cougars in his new role, tallying 50 total tackles (3.0 for loss), 1.0 sacks, one fumble recovery and one quarterback hurry. Stuard projects to be an undrafted free agent, but the Senior Bowl will give him the opportunity to show off his versatility in-person to NFL scouts and decision-makers.

Cuathen remarks that the Houston staff wanted to move Stuard (6'1/210) to linebacker last season, but due to some other injuries around the roster, it wasn’t a viable move to make at the time. With a fresh slate of health across the board and some other players developing, however, Stuard can now move to a weak-side linebacker position. Cuathen says the move is intended to get some more athleticism in the box to combat the speed of offenses around the AAC. Stuard’s 97 tackles led the team last year.

Stuard told reporters he played with the injury all year. He was one of the top tacklers on the Cougars this year, and the 6-foot-1, 210-pound defender should be played in the same role for the Cougars in 2020, assuming a healthy recovery.

The Houston secondary was hard at work Sunday, as Oklahoma QB Jalen Hurts put forth a record-setting performance. But while the Cougars, who struggled mightily with regards to giving up big plays last season, didn’t have the best night there were positives. Stuard (6'1/210) was one of the standouts, as the 14 total tackles are nearly half of what his tally for the entire 2018 season was (30 total tackles in 13 games). If Sunday was any indication, the junior nickel is going to blow his that mark out of the water.