USC may have to wait a little longer for Jahkeem Stewart.
With the No. 12 Trojans set to host No.
20 Oregon on Saturday, Sept. 26 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Lincoln Riley said Tuesday that the defensive tackle is still working his way back from the foot injury he suffered this offseason. Stewart has not played yet this season, and his status remains uncertain heading into one of USC’s biggest games of the year.
“We were planning to play him a little bit against Louisiana; provided the warm-up didn’t go perfect, and it didn’t go bad, it just didn’t go perfect. Just wasn’t quite ready, so we made the decision to pull him back a little bit, and obviously he wasn’t quite ready last week,” Riley said.
“He’s continuing to rest and get healthier. We do feel like we’re going to have him here at some point.
But it's a bit kind of touch-and-go as that goes on. You’re trying to manage time to rest while not being too conservative with it.
We’re definitely making progress. He’s definitely getting better and better each week and hopefully not too far away,” Riley continued.
Stewart’s absence has been notable because he was coming off a strong freshman season, one that included 18 total tackles, 1.5 sacks, and one interception. USC expected him to take another step this fall, and that possibility still exists once he gets back on the field.
That return would matter a lot this week. Oregon arrives with quarterback Dante Moore leading a high-powered offense, and the Trojans would love to have Stewart in the mix if he’s ready.
USC’s defense has had its issues in the secondary through four games, but there’s been more reason for optimism up front. The line held up well enough to help the Trojans survive a 42-35 road win over Rutgers in Week 3, even with some rough patches.
True freshman defensive end Luke Wafle and defensive tackle Jide Abasiri have both given USC encouraging early returns, and they’ll be key pieces again on Saturday. Whether Stewart joins them is still to be determined, but his potential season debut would give the Trojans another needed boost in a game that could swing the tone of their season.
USC is a three-point underdog against Oregon, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. Kickoff is set for 4:30 p.m. PT on NBC.
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