Jahkeem Stewart
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Short description|American football player (born 2007)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox college football player
| name = Jahkeem Stewart
| school = USC Trojans
| pastschools = USC (2025–present)
| currentnumber =
| position = Defensive lineman
| class = Freshman
| major =
| bowlgames =
| highschool = East St. John
(Reserve, Louisiana)
St. Augustine
(New Orleans, Louisiana)
Edna Karr
(New Orleans, Louisiana)
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2007|5|6}}
| birth_place = Reserve, Louisiana, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 6
| weight_lb = 290
| highlights =
}}
Jahkeem Stewart (born May 6, 2007){{Cite web|url=https://www.selfl.org/roster_players/35344576?subseason=593168|publisher=Southeast Louisiana Football League|title=Jahkeem Stewart}} is an American football defensive lineman for the USC Trojans. Nicknamed Thanos, after the Marvel character, he is five-star prospect and one of the top-ranked recruits for the class of 2025.
Early life
Stewart was born in Reserve, Louisiana, where he grew up.{{Cite web|url=https://archive.today/20241203123705/https://www.nola.com/sports/colleges/jahkeem-stewart-recruitment-lsu-new-orleans/article_23a4b466-b0e9-11ef-bd51-8bde7875ba95.html|website=nola.com|via=archive.ph|author=Duncan, Jeff|title=Why Jahkeem Stewart's recruitment is unlike any other we've ever seen|date=December 3, 2024}} He started playing football at age five. 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. He began working with trainer Clyde Alexander, a former Nicholls Colonels football player, in sixth grade.{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/recruiting/story/_/id/42723355/college-football-recruiting-five-star-jahkeem-stewart-decision|publisher=ESPN|title=Jahkeem Stewart, the five-star football recruit with million-dollar questions|date=December 3, 2024|author=Lederman, Eli}} By that time, Stewart already stood at {{convert|6|ft|4|in|cm}} and {{convert|340|lb}}.
Stewart attended several national camps during summer 2021 and "dominated" there as well. 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.{{Cite news|url=https://www.lobservateur.com/2021/06/16/middle-schooler-collects-4-college-football-offers-jahkeem-stewart-stuns-at-prospect-camps/|newspaper=L'Observateur|title=Middle schooler collects 4 college football offers; Jahkeem Stewart stuns at prospect camps|date=June 16, 2021|author=Robichaux, Brooke}} He attended the eighth grade Under Armour All-America Game where he "tormented" top recruit Julian Lewis, according to ESPN.
High school career
Although Stewart was initially going to play high school football for East St. John High School, 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. 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. 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.{{Cite news|url=https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-football/news/jahkeem-stewart-five-star-defensive-end-reclassifies-class-2025/46fc98b9faf23b40c8df9d90|newspaper=The Sporting News|title=Who is Jahkeem Stewart? Five-star defensive end reclassifies to Class of 2025|date=October 5, 2024|author=Suggs, David}} 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.{{Cite web|url=https://usctrojans.com/sports/football/roster/jahkeem-stewart/17414|publisher=USC Trojans|title=Jahkeem Stewart}}
Stewart appeared in St. Augustine's season-opener in 2024.{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/41151465/no-1-overall-2026-football-prospect-jahkeem-stewart-transfer|publisher=ESPN|title=No. 1 overall 2026 football prospect Jahkeem Stewart to transfer|author=Lederman, Eli|date=September 6, 2024}} 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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nola.com/sports/high_schools/former-st-augustine-standout-jahkeem-stewart-to-attend-karr/article_c544fa80-6fa1-11ef-a65c-ab5554afe5d2.html|website=nola.com|title=Top prep football recruit from St. Augustine lands at another New Orleans school|author=Dabe, Christopher|date=September 10, 2024}} However, due to LHSAA transfer rules, he became ineligible to play further in the 2024 season. The following month, he opted to re-classify, which thus ended his high school football career.{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/41624227/no-1-football-prospect-jahkeem-stewart-reclassifies-2025|publisher=ESPN|title=No. 1 football prospect Jahkeem Stewart reclassifies to 2025|date=October 5, 2024|author=Lederman, Eli}} He became the No. 11-overall player in ESPN's 2025 recruiting rankings and a five-star prospect.{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/42778213/usc-lands-5-star-de-jahkeem-stewart-no-11-prospect-2025-espn-300|publisher=ESPN|title=USC lands 5-star DE Jahkeem Stewart, No. 11 in 2025 ESPN 300|date=December 4, 2024|author=Lederman, Eli}} In December 2024, he announced his commitment to play college football for the USC Trojans.{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/sports/usc/story/2024-12-04/usc-early-signing-day-lincoln-riley-jahkeem-stewart|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|title=USC and Lincoln Riley salvage challenging signing day by landing Jahkeem Stewart|author=Kartje, Ryan|date=December 4, 2024}}
Personal life
Stewart lives with his trainer, Clyde Alexander, after his family's home was destroyed by Hurricane Ida in 2021.