Jahkeem Stewart
| Edna Karr Cougars | |
|---|---|
| Position | Defensive lineman |
| Class | Junior |
| 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 | |
| High school | East St. John High School (Reserve, Louisiana) St. Augustine (New Orleans, Louisiana) Edna Karr (New Orleans, Louisiana) |
Jahkeem Stewart (born May 6, 2007)[1] is an American football defensive lineman at Edna Karr High School in New Orleans, Louisiana. A five-star prospect and one of the top-ranked recruits for the class of 2025, he is committed to the USC Trojans.
Early life
[edit]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 (1.93 m) 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]
High school career
[edit]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.[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]
Personal life
[edit]Stewart lives with his trainer, Clyde Alexander, after his family's home was destroyed by Hurricane Ida in 2021.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ "Jahkeem Stewart". Southeast Louisiana Football League.
- ^ a b c d e f g Duncan, Jeff (December 3, 2024). "Why Jahkeem Stewart's recruitment is unlike any other we've ever seen". nola.com – via archive.ph.
- ^ a b c d e f Lederman, Eli (December 3, 2024). "Jahkeem Stewart, the five-star football recruit with million-dollar questions". ESPN.
- ^ Robichaux, Brooke (June 16, 2021). "Middle schooler collects 4 college football offers; Jahkeem Stewart stuns at prospect camps". L'Observateur.
- ^ Suggs, David (October 5, 2024). "Who is Jahkeem Stewart? Five-star defensive end reclassifies to Class of 2025". The Sporting News.
- ^ "Jahkeem Stewart". USC Trojans.
- ^ Lederman, Eli (September 6, 2024). "No. 1 overall 2026 football prospect Jahkeem Stewart to transfer". ESPN.
- ^ Dabe, Christopher (September 10, 2024). "Top prep football recruit from St. Augustine lands at another New Orleans school". nola.com.
- ^ Lederman, Eli (October 5, 2024). "No. 1 football prospect Jahkeem Stewart reclassifies to 2025". ESPN.
- ^ Lederman, Eli (December 4, 2024). "USC lands 5-star DE Jahkeem Stewart, No. 11 in 2025 ESPN 300". ESPN.
- ^ Kartje, Ryan (December 4, 2024). "USC and Lincoln Riley salvage challenging signing day by landing Jahkeem Stewart". Los Angeles Times.