Jahkeem Stewart has already shown USC exactly why his toughness matters.
The sophomore defensive lineman has spent much of his young Trojan career battling that same foot, and the setbacks have piled up fast. Last season, he suffered a stress fracture in his foot just before the start of his freshman season. Rather than go the season-ending surgery route, Stewart and USC’s coaching and training staff worked out a plan because he wanted to play.
That decision came with guardrails. The Trojans handled the injury carefully all year, checking on it daily and at times keeping Stewart off the practice field because they had to protect him from himself.
Even then, he still managed Freshman All-American honors. But at USC’s media day in early August, Stewart said it was a frustrating season because he wasn’t fully healthy and had to operate on a snap count.
He wanted more.
Then came another setback before the season opener against San Jose State, when he re-injured the same foot and missed the first four games. For a player as competitive as Stewart, all that time on the sideline has weighed on him.
Still, he made it clear at media day that his team would get everything he had no matter what.
He backed that up in his season debut against Oregon in Week 4. On a night when the Trojans defense was under siege, Stewart was the one bright spot, finishing with two tackles for loss.
Against Washington this past weekend, he showed the same edge - and then some. Late in the second quarter, Stewart went down and immediately clutched that same foot, the one that has bothered him for two seasons. As the training staff rushed over, it looked like his night might be over.
It wasn’t.
Stewart returned to the game to open the second half, and in the third quarter he delivered the play that swung everything. After linebacker Elijah Newby strip-sacked Washington quarterback Demond Williams, Stewart scooped up the fumble and sprinted 48 yards for a touchdown.
“I really was a spy player, but Kam [Crawford] told me to go inside so I could cover for him, and I did, and I made the quarterback step up, and thanks to [Elijah] Newby for getting a sack, and I picked the ball up and ran 22 miles per hour,” Stewart said after the game with a big smile on his face.
That score helped USC erase an 11-point second-half deficit and beat the Huskies for the first time in a decade.
And as Southern Cal moves into the hardest stretch of its schedule, Stewart’s value goes beyond the production. The Trojans need the force he brings inside, sure.
But they also need the kind of passion, pride and toughness he plays with every snap. That edge is something the program is missing, and the hope is that Stewart’s approach catches on with the rest of the roster.
In Other News...
USC Faces A Brutal Penn State Test Beyond Just The Crowd
USC heads into its trip to Penn State with the usual warning attached to any visit to State College: the White Out is going to be loud, relentless and built to rattle visiting teams from the first snap. Lincoln Riley and several players have already acknowledged the atmosphere, and for the Trojans it is the kind of stage that tests communication, poise and the ability to stay locked in when everything around them is trying to speed them up.
Luke Wafles recognition as Big Ten Freshman of the Week after his performance against Washington gives USC at least one encouraging note as it prepares for an even tougher setting. The defensive end has provided a fresh burst of production for a defense that will need every bit of it, because this matchup is about more than handling the noise. It is also about whether USC can bring enough edge and discipline to function in one of the conferences most difficult road environments. [Read more 🡒]
Washington Just Exposed One Big Concern For USC
USC left the field with a 25-21 win over Washington and a 5-1 record, but the game also reinforced something the Trojans can no longer ignore. The defense came up with winning plays at the right moments, including a touchdown from sophomore Jahkeem Stewart and a late sack by junior Kameryn Crawford, while sophomore wide receiver Zacharyus Williams delivered a season-best outing to help steady the offense.
Still, even with Jayden Maiava throwing for 245 yards, USC did not fully separate itself from a Washington team that kept the pressure on deep into the fourth quarter. The Trojans are 2-1 in conference play and sitting in a strong spot, but this was the kind of game that hinted their margin for error may be thinner than the record suggests. [Read more 🡒]
Troy Fans Just Got A Glimpse Of This Offenses Ceiling
A conference opener can tell you a lot about a team, and Troys 55-34 win over Southern Miss offered a pretty clear look at just how dangerous this offense can be when it gets rolling. Goose Crowder was at the center of it, piling up 145 rushing yards and two touchdowns while adding 225 passing yards and two more scores, as the Trojans controlled the game with 662 total yards and a relentless ground attack that produced 437 rushing yards.
For a program that had not topped 400 rushing yards since 2002, that part alone made the afternoon stand out. Southern Miss moved the ball too, finishing with 512 yards, but three red zone turnovers kept the Golden Eagles from making it a tighter fight and left them with a fourth straight loss, while Troy walked away with a league win that felt like more than just a fast start. [Read more 🡒]