| USC Trojans | |
|---|---|
| Position | Defensive lineman |
| Class | Freshman |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | May 6, 2007 Reserve, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Weight | 290 lb (132 kg) |
| Career history | |
| College | USC (2025–present) |
| High school | East St. John (Reserve, Louisiana) St. Augustine (New Orleans, Louisiana) Edna Karr (New Orleans, Louisiana) |
Jahkeem Stewart (born May 6, 2007) [1] is an American college football defensive lineman for the USC Trojans. Stewart is rated as a five-star prospect and one of the top-ranked recruits for the class of 2025.
Stewart was born in Reserve, Louisiana, where he grew up. [2] He started playing football at age five. [2] He was a standout in local youth leagues and continued playing while attending East St. John Preparatory Academy for middle school, being mainly used as a defensive lineman. [2] He began working with trainer Clyde Alexander, a former Nicholls Colonels football player, in sixth grade. [3] By that time, Stewart already stood at 6 feet 4 inches (193 cm) and 340 pounds (150 kg). [3]
Stewart attended several national camps during summer 2021 and "dominated" there as well. [2] By June 2021, at age 14, Stewart had already received athletic scholarship offers to play college football for major schools including Auburn, Ole Miss, Georgia, and Miami. [4] He attended the eighth grade Under Armour All-America Game where he "tormented" top recruit Julian Lewis, according to ESPN. [3]
Although Stewart was initially going to play high school football for IMG Academy, he opted to transfer to St. Augustine High School in New Orleans as a freshman and thus had to sit out due to Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA) transfer rules. [2] He meanwhile continued to impress at football camps and was ranked the consensus number one recruit for the class of 2026 by the time of his sophomore year. [2] As a sophomore for St. Augustine in 2023, Stewart totaled 85 tackles, 33 tackles-for-loss (TFLs) and 20 sacks while appearing in 11 games. [2] [5] He received honors including first-team all-district 5A-9, first-team MaxPreps sophomore All-American and honorable mention 5A all-state from the Louisiana Sportswriters Association. [6]
Stewart appeared in St. Augustine's season-opener in 2024. [7] Afterwards, he opted to transfer to Edna Karr High School, in part due to St. Augustine opposing his request to re-classify to the class of 2025. [3] [8] However, due to LHSAA transfer rules, he became ineligible to play further in the 2024 season. [3] The following month, he opted to re-classify, which thus ended his high school football career. [9] He became the No. 11-overall player in ESPN's 2025 recruiting rankings and a five-star prospect. [10] In December 2024, he announced his commitment to play college football for the USC Trojans. [11]
Stewart lives with his trainer, Clyde Alexander, after his family's home was destroyed by Hurricane Ida in 2021. [3]
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