Five-star defensive lineman [autotag]Jahkeem Stewart[/autotag] may be headed out west, according to a recent report from On3’s Steve Wiltfong.
Wiltfong is predicting that USC will seal the deal here.
Stewart was the top-ranked prospect in the 2026 recruiting class before reclassifying to 2025. According to the On3 Industry Rankings, Stewart is the No. 16 overall prospect this cycle. 247Sports isn’t quite as high on him, slotting him No. 54 overall.
Rivals and ESPN both rank Stewart as the top defensive lineman in the class.
A New Orleans native, Stewart is the top uncommitted player left in Louisiana. He was a major LSU target, but the Tigers have lacked momentum in this recruitment for a while. The writing was on the wall months ago — Stewart is likely heading out of state.
USC, Oregon, Ohio State, and LSU were all involved down the stretch. Stewart was in Baton Rouge for LSU’s meeting with Alabama on Nov. 9, but all the talk since then has been about USC and Oregon.
Letting Stewart get out of state is a loss for LSU. He’s a major talent and New Orleans recruits of his caliber usually make it to Baton Rouge.
Defensive line remains a position of need for LSU too, though the Tigers did sign a core group in 2024.
This news comes a week after LSU lost QB Bryce Underwood to Michigan, the No. 1 overall player in the country.