Jahkeem Stewart spent part of his offseason in the kind of room that can sharpen a pass rusher fast.
The USC sophomore defensive lineman was among the names at the Sack Summit in Las Vegas from July 9 to July 11, the annual gathering started in 2017 by Super Bowl champion and Denver Broncos legend Von Miller. New Orleans Saints edge rusher Cam Jordan and Las Vegas Raiders star defensive player Maxx Crosby have since joined the leadership group, and the three-day event now brings together elite defenders for film study, Q&A sessions, skills-and-drills work, media opportunities, competitive games and awards.
Stewart wasn’t just there to observe. During field sessions, he was coached by Jacksonville Jaguars defensive lineman Arik Armstead and Jordan, getting direct instruction from veterans who know the position inside and out.
He was also part of a USC presence that has shown up at the event before. Before his senior year, defensive end Anthony Lucas attended the Sack Summit, then went on to post 37 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and seven quarterback hurries in 12 games in 2025.
Tuli Tuipulotu also used the event as part of his prep before his rookie season after an All-American 2022 campaign that included 46 total tackles, 22 tackles for loss, 13.5 sacks, three pass deflections and two forced fumbles. He was later selected No. 54 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Chargers.
For Stewart, the trip came after a freshman season that already turned heads. The five-star defensive lineman made the leap by skipping his senior year at Edna Karr High School in Reserve, La., and reclassifying to join USC in the spring of 2025. He answered that bet on himself with an immediate impact, playing in 11 games while dealing with a stress fracture in his foot.
Most of his snaps came inside, but Stewart showed enough versatility to line up across the defensive front. He finished with 18 total tackles, including 11 solo stops, 7.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, a fumble recovery, an interception and a quarterback hurry. His work against the run and his pass-rush upside helped him earn All-American honors from Pro Football Focus and the Football Writers Association of America.
Now the attention is only growing. Stewart was named to the 2026 Lott IMPACT Trophy watchlist, alongside teammate Jide Abasiri.
A healthy season could be the next step for Stewart and USC. The Trojans have pieces around him, including Kameryn Crawford, Braylan Shelby and Abasiri, and the program also added more help in the trenches through the 2026 recruiting cycle and the transfer portal. Luke Wafle and Jaimeon Winfield arrived as young blue-chip additions, while Zuriah Fisher and Alex VanSumeren came in as transfers, giving USC more ways to keep Stewart fresh over the course of the season.
In Other News...
Quentin Hale Just Sent USC Fans A Big Message About 2027
Quentin Hales commitment gave USC another important foothold in the 2027 recruiting race, and it fit the broader pattern the Trojans have been building in California. The four-star receiver from Corona Centennial joins a class that already has real momentum in-state, with USC holding pledges from five of the top ten prospects in California for the cycle.
Hales value for USC goes beyond his own talent, too, because he has already started working as a recruiter for the program. He has been pushing local standouts such as Malaki Davis and Hayden Koo to take a serious look at the Trojans, a sign that USC is not just landing elite California prospects but also getting them to help sell the vision to others. [Read more 🡒]
USC Commit Jace Cannon Is Starting To Look Like A Bigger Get
Jace Cannons USC pledge in the 2027 class looked like a solid early add when he committed as a tight end, but his stock has started to move in a way that makes the Trojans hold on him feel even more valuable. The Junipero Serra High School junior backed up the buzz with a productive season and the kind of athletic profile that keeps evaluators paying attention, which is why his recruiting momentum has only grown in recent weeks.
On3/Rivals rewarded that progress with a bump to four-star status, a sign that Cannon is no longer just a promising local commit but a prospect whose ceiling is drawing real national notice. USC still has a young tight end commit with room to develop, especially in the physical parts of the position, but the bigger question now is whether the Trojans can keep him in the fold as more programs take a closer look. [Read more 🡒]
USC Recruits Made A Bigger Statement Than Fans Expected At 7v7
The Battle at the Beach 7v7 at Edison High in Huntington Beach gave a packed group of Southern California programs a chance to show off, but the USC pipeline stood out in a way that went beyond the usual summer camp buzz. Among the 20 high schools in the mix, several top recruits and Trojans commits kept flashing the kind of versatility that makes 7v7 more than just a passing drill, with receivers, defensive backs and hybrid athletes all taking turns making their case.
Honor Faalave-Johnson, Quentin Hale and Jalen Flowers were especially hard to miss, each showing why USC has been so aggressive in this part of the recruiting map. The most intriguing part for the Trojans is how many of these players are not just winning one-on-one snaps, but impacting games in multiple spots on the field, which is exactly the sort of development that can turn a strong summer showing into something much bigger once the season starts. [Read more 🡒]