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USC Trojans sophomore Jahkeem Stewart played his true freshman year with a stress fracture in his foot, and Stewart was still able to finish the season with 7.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and 1 interception.
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As the former five-star recruit enters his sophomore year, his continued development as well as his injury recovery are reasons to be excited for Stewart in 2026. He re-classified during his recruiting process, making him one of the younger stars on USC’s roster despite having a full season of college football experience under his belt.
Can Stewart wreak enough havoc to become a force in the Big Ten and a national name? If USC is going to compete for a conference title and/or the College Football Playoff, Stewart’s performance is likely a big part as to why.
Lincoln Riley on Jahkeem Stewart’s Injury
USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley revealed Stewart’s injury after the season ended in December of 2025.
“Jahkeem had surgery the day after the UCLA game. Played the entire season with a stress fracture in his foot,” Riley said. “Showed incredible toughness. Pretty remarkable. Was able to hold off the surgery the entire year…Hampered the ability to practice and prepare him a lot which makes the contribution he made to this team this year even more impressive.”
Given the timing of Stewart’s surgery and subsequent recovery, he did not play in USC’s bowl game. However, that experience is less important that getting healthy and making a complete return before the season.
During the spring, Riley revealed that Stewart was still working his way back, but the USC coach expected Stewart to be a full participant for the second portion of spring practices.
His status for fall camp remains to be seen, but signs point to Stewart making a return as scheduled in time for the 2026 season.
USC Trojans Defensive Line Outlook
The Trojans have a new defensive coordinator in Gary Patterson, and Stewart will likely be relied upon to anchor the USC defensive line as a key piece of the rotation.
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While Stewart may have the highest ceiling on USC’s defensive line, the Trojans have some other leaders at the position with Jide Abasiri and Alex VanSumeren joining Riley and quarterback Jayden Maiava at Big Ten Media Days.
In 2025, Abasiri totaled 3.5 sacks and 4.0 tackles for loss as a leader on the Trojans defensive line. He finished the year with 26 total tackles and one forced fumble, and he enters 2026 as one of USC’s strongest NFL Draft prospects on the defensive side of the ball.
As for VanSumeren, he comes to USC by way of Michigan State, and he finished with 52 total tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks with the Spartans in 2025.
Other Trojans on the defensive line are expected to contribute like Braylan Shelby, Kameryn Crawford, Jamaal Jarrett, and Floyd Boucard. Meanwhile, freshmen like Luke Wafle, Jaimeon Winfield, and Tomuhini Topui will have an opportunity to make an early impact without having to lead the way thanks to the aforementioned veterans.
Patterson has plenty of pieces to play with as USC figures out its defensive line rotation, but the Trojans’ depth makes them a threat up front, especially if Stewart becomes the star he’s expected to be.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/usc as One Returning Player Ready to Become a Star for USC Trojans.
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This story was originally published July 20, 2026 at 8:13 AM.