Tag: Jahkeem Stewart

USC loses out to Notre Dame for top linebacker target — again

The recruitment of Madden Faraimo might sound familiar. This marks another loss of a linebacker recruit to Notre Dame, following Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa.

On Saturday, Notre Dame defeated USC on the football field. On Wednesday, the Irish once again bested the Trojans, this time on the recruiting trail. Heading into signing day, USC football was the favorite to land San Diego four-star linebacker Madden Faraimo. On Wednesday morning, however, Faraimo instead picked Notre Dame.

According to the On3 Consensus rankings, Faraimo is the No. 77 overall player in the class of 2024. He is also the No. 4 linebacker and the No. 6 player in the state of California.

Faraimo spurning the Trojans was likely related to the departure of USC linebackers coach Matt Entz. With Entz accepting the head coaching job at Fresno State Wednesday morning, there was major uncertainty as to who would have been Faraimo’s position coach had he picked USC.

Not all was lost for USC on Wednesday. The Trojans did make a huge splash with the addition of five-star defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart, while also flipping cornerback Alex Graham from Colorado.

Yet, any time you lose out on a recruit to your most hated rival, it is not pleasant. This marks another loss of a linebacker recruit to Notre Dame, a prominent recent example being Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa.

The loss of Faraimo, to go along with Entz’s departure, will dampen what was a promising day for the Trojans, but not as complete a conquest as the program hoped.

Jahkeem Stewart commits to USC despite late push from LSU

The top prospect in Louisiana spurned LSU to head out west

A New Orleans native and five-star prospect chose a Southern California school over LSU, despite a last-minute push from the Tigers.

[autotag]Jahkeem Stewart[/autotag] committed to USC during Wednesday’s National Early Signing Day. The defensive line prospect announced his decision on “College Football Live” in a ceremony at Edna Karr High School.

The top-rated prospect in Louisiana, Stewart also received interest from Oregon and Ohio State down the stretch. However, the Trojans landed the five-star prospect.

LSU inked two five-star recruits in cornerback [autotag]DJ Pickett[/autotag] and [autotag]Harlem Berry[/autotag], headlining a 2025 class currently ranked ninth in the nation and sixth in the SEC.

With the transfer portal opening in five days and a spring signing period looming, the Tigers have plenty of time to bolster their roster heading into next season.

Last week, head coach Brian Kelly emphasized the importance of both opportunities. He highlighted “the strength of the entire roster” when confronted with concerns about the quarterback position, especially following top-rated Bryce Underwood’s flip to Michigan.

When is five-star LSU target Jahkeem Stewart announcing his commitment?

When is LSU’s top target announcing his commitment?

Amid Early National Signing Day, LSU aims to retain both of its five-star recruits while adding where it can.

One of those recruits, New Orleans native [autotag]Jahkeem Stewart[/autotag], plans to announce his commitment at 1 PM CT. He is currently uncommitted.

The top-rated prospect in Louisiana, Stewart is predicted to sign with USC by On3. The outlet gives the Trojans a 76.6% chance to land the defensive lineman. Oregon and Ohio State are also in the race for Stewart.

The primary recruiter for Stewart, fellow New Orleans native Frank Wilson, helped the Tigers pull off commitments from the state’s capital before. The associate head coach built a reputation for flipping previously committed players, so securing a signing from Stewart would continue this trend.

Stewart ranks third at his position in the country and No. 16 overall. The top-rated recruit at defensive line, Elijah Griffin, is committed to Georgia. No. 2 Justus Terry will most likely sign with the Bulldogs but Auburn is also in the mix.

Does LSU have a shot with Jahkeem Stewart 48 hours out from signing day?

Does LSU still have a shot to sign Jahkeem Stewart — the top-ranked recruit in Louisiana?

Signing day is less than 48 hours away and the top player in Louisiana is still on the board.

DL [autotag]Jahkeem Stewart[/autotag], a New Orleans native, is ranked as the No. 16 overall recruit in the class and No. 3 at his position. Stewart was originally the top-ranked recruit in 2026 before reclassifying to 2025.

He remains uncommitted, making him LSU’s top target in these final hours.

Momentum was not on LSU’s side the last few weeks as reports indicated Stewart was likely to leave the state.

But according to On3’s Steve Wiltfong, Stewart took a visit to LSU last week, and this one isn’t over.

Five-stars from Louisiana typically don’t leave the state. [autotag]Dominick McKinley[/autotag] was the top recruit in Louisiana last year and was originally committed to Texas A&M, but LSU was persistent and earned McKinley’s commitment on New Year’s Day.

LSU will hope Stewart’s recruitment mirrors McKinley’s.

With Frank Wilson and Bo Davis leading the recruiting charge for LSU, the Tigers have the firepower to pull it off. And with Underwood out of the picture, LSU has money to spend too.

LSU signed a good defensive tackle class last year, but it remains a position of need as Brian Kelly tries to restack his defense.

LSU closed the year with back-to-back wins, restoring some momentum to the program. I’d still bet Stewart heads elsewhere, but Stewart donning the purple and gold can’t be ruled out.

Report: Top Louisiana prospect Jahkeem Stewart trending to USC

See where the top remaining prospect and LSU target left in Louisiana is projected to land

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.

Top available Louisiana prospect could join Underwood at Michigan

LSU rarely loses five-star talents from Louisiana, but Jahkeem Stewart could be on his way out of town.

Five-star DL [autotag]Jahkeem Stewart[/autotag] was originally the top prospect in the 2026 class before reclassifying to 2025. The New Orleans product remains a five-star and is the top-ranked player left on LSU’s board.

LSU usually doesn’t let prospects of Stewart’s caliber get out of state, but Stewart is a candidate to join Bryce Underwood in Michigan’s class.

At one point, LSU looked destined to land Underwood and Stewart. Underwood, the top overall recruit in 2025, flipped to Michigan on Thursday, delivering a massive blow to LSU’s class.

Soon after the news of Underwood’s flip, On3’s Steve Wiltfong reported that Michigan was in a position to make a push for Stewart.

The writing has been on the wall with Stewart for weeks. He wasn’t an LSU slam dunk to begin with and Oregon, USC, and Ohio State have made significant progress with Stewart in recent months.

Stewart was in Baton Rouge for LSU’s meeting with Alabama — where he saw the Tigers lose 42-13. Bryce Underwood was in town that day too.

LSU will likely finish with a top-10 class, but it won’t be the loaded group fans once hoped for. Underwood was the second prospect to flip from LSU this cycle after WR Dakorien Moore committed to Oregon.

Moore is the top WR in the class and originally committed to LSU in August of 2023.

Stewart isn’t a flip, but losing homegrown talent of his level hurts LSU.

Can Michigan steal an elite 2025 recruit from LSU’s backyard after Underwood flip?

#Michigan smells blood in the water. #GoBlue

The paradigm is shifting. Though Bryce Underwood was an in-state prospect from nearby Belleville (Mich.), the Wolverines flipping the five-star and No. 1 recruit in the 2025 class is going to have some positive repercussions for Michigan football.

Making sure that everyone in the college football world knows that the maize and blue mean business, the defending national champions took time in the afterglow of Underwood’s flip from LSU to take another shot at Brian Kelly and the Tigers. One of the top prospects from the state, 2025 New Orleans (La.) Edna Kerr five-star defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart appears to be trending to LSU, Ohio State, USC, and Oregon, but Michigan threw its hat back into the ring with a redeclaration of its previously issued offer.

Here is how Stewart ranks according to the recruiting services:

* Ovr Pos St
247Sports Composite 5 16 3 2
On3 Industry Ranking 5 16 3 1
247Sports 4 54 9 2
On3 5 25 3 2
ESPN 5 11 1 1
Rivals 5 8 1 1

The scouting profile from 247Sports:

Enormous-framed front-line defender with impressive linear athleticism and immense growth potential. Assembled strong combine testing and measured well on the offseason camp circuit in Spring 2024. Periodic segmentation in movement patterns reflects the growth still ongoing into the frame, but flashes serious straight-line juice for such a big body at this stage. Capable pass rusher from the interior and the edge, thanks in part to hand violence and point-of-attack power. Often physically overwhelms overmatched opponents, but does flash some rip and swim nuance at times. Reportedly highly productive sophomore campaign with 85 tackles, 33 TFL, 20 sacks. Still developing pass-rush repertoire but has shown encouraging technical awareness. Elite young defensive line prospect given outstanding physical tools and promising movement ability who could become a serious NFL Draft candidate down the road.

With both Nate Marshall and Jaylen Williams flipping from Michigan to Auburn and Wisconsin, respectively, getting the currently uncommitted Stewart in the fold would be a massive sea change. Of course, the Wolverines have a lot of ground to make up in a short period of time and there’s no indication that they will. But even the fact that Michigan is making this move right now shows you how serious it is to attract truly elite talent to Ann Arbor — beyond even the aforementioned Underwood.

LSU Commit Kade Phillips gets five-star bump from On3

Corey Raymond is rebuilding DBU. An LSU cornerback commit received his fifth-star on Monday.

On3 dropped its updated class of 2025 rankings and one of LSU’s top commits got a five-star bump.

Cornerback Kade Phillips is ranked as the No. 23 overall prospect in On3’s latest rankings update. He checks in ahead of defensive linemen Justus Terry and Louisiana product [autotag]Jahkeem Stewart[/autotag], both uncommitted.

A native of Missouri City, Texas, Phillips flipped his commitment to the Tigers from Texas on August 18. The switch made him the fourth five-star player committed to LSU and he said the Tigers consistently stayed in contact with him.

The 6-5, 185-pounder is the No. 4 cornerback in the 2025 recruiting class. The update makes him the second five-star corner in LSU’s class with DJ Pickett on board.

Scouts are high on Phillips due to his stature and versatility, saying he “has some of the best physical traits” at the corner position in the 2025 recruiting class.

“This is a guy who has elite length and a big frame,” On3’s Hunter Shelton wrote, “He has position versatility with the ability to play corner or safety at the next level, but we feel the length and speed and ball skills he shows as a two-way player at the high school level really translates well to corner.”

According to On3, LSU’s 2025 class sits at No. 5 nationally.

Should LSU be worried about five-star Jahkeem Stewart going out of state?

Jahkeem Stewart is one of the best prospects in the state of Louisiana. Should LSU worry about him heading elsewhere?

LSU rarely lets elite talent leave Louisiana. When there’s a five-star in the boot, more often than not, they end up at LSU.

Last year, LSU signed [autotag]Dominick McKinley[/autotag] and [autotag]Trey’Dez Green[/autotag]. Both five stars and the two best players the state had to offer.

LSU is hoping to do the same in 2025. The Tigers already have two of Louisiana’s top three players committed, but DL [autotag]Jahkeem Stewart[/autotag] remains on the board.

Stewart was previously the top-ranked overall prospect in the class of 2026 before reclassifying to 2025. Still, Stewart is a “can’t miss” prospect. If you saw how LSU looked up front in the loss to Alabama, you saw why LSU needs a guy like Stewart.

The transfer portal is nice, but the most effective way to build an elite defensive line is to get blue-chip players in at the high school level and develop those guys. LSU hasn’t done that in recent years.

Even the Tigers’ best pass rusher now, Bradyn Swinson, is a transfer. You won’t find five Swinson’s in the portal, which makes it critical to land talent right out of high school.

Stewart is far from an LSU lock. The On3 Prediction Machine still has LSU in front of Oregon, Ohio State, and USC. But if I was taking LSU or the field, I’d take the field.

Stewart was on campus for the Alabama game. Prior to the visit, On3 wrote LSU “had some ground to make up.”

The momentum doesn’t seem to be in LSU’s favor with this one, but at the end of the day, Stewart is a top prospect out of New Orleans and that always gives LSU a chance.

But I don’t think LSU fans should feel great about this one right now.

Brian Kelly’s staff has recruited Louisiana in his time at LSU so missing out on Stewart shouldn’t defined Kelly’s efforts in Louisiana, but it would reflect poorly on LSU if it can’t close out on an elite prospect at a position of need.

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Ohio State football five-star recruit set to visit SEC program for top-15 battle

Jahkeem Stewart, who Ohio State football is bringing in late this season, will be visiting Death Valley for LSU’s battle with Alabama.

The Ohio State Buckeyes, and every other program in the country, would like to get a commit from defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart, who recently reclassified to be part of this upcoming recruiting class.

Stewart should have his pick of choice, and Ohio State will be among them.

Stewart, per Jahkeem Stewart 247 ranking, is the 14th-best player nationally and the best player from the state of Louisiana, so LSU is obviously one of the favorites to land the star. Stewart is the third-ranked defensive lineman in the class. 247Sports has USC, Oregon, Ohio State and LSU as “warm.”

Set to take his trip to Columbus on November 29th and being recruited by Larry Johnson, Stewart is in Baton Rouge for LSU’s battle with Alabama, a top-15 matchup that is basically an elimination game for both sides that enter with two losses.

While USC has struggled this season, he will be Stewart’s next visit, set to be in Southern California for its matchup with Nebraska next weekend.

He will be with the Buckeyes for their battle with Michigan, a game that should feature many potential recruits as it has one of the best atmospheres in college athletics.