Jahkeem Stewart’s first season at USC came with a built-in obstacle from the start: a stress fracture in his foot last August that knocked him out of the opener and forced the Trojans to manage him carefully from there.
Stewart said surgery was an option, but not one he wanted to take.
“I could have got surgery, but I wouldn't have felt comfortable,” Stewart said. “I wouldn't have felt complete as a human, knowing that I still had stuff in the tank that I could have gave to my team.”
USC’s medical staff and Lincoln Riley kept a tight grip on the recovery process. Stewart said his foot was checked after every practice, and some days he didn’t practice at all.
During bye weeks, he was held out entirely. That made for a frustrating stretch, especially for a player who hadn’t appeared in a live game in two seasons after reclassifying from the 2026 to 2025 cycle when he enrolled at Southern Cal.
“I was very frustrated,” Stewart said. “I had some days where I was mad because I really wanted to practice, but Coach Riley said, nah."
Even with the limitations, Stewart found ways to make an impact. He finished second on the team in tackles, and his interception against Iowa last November helped fuel USC’s comeback win over a top 25 opponent. That season also brought Freshman All-American honors, though Stewart said he still felt short of his own standard.
“It was exciting, but I was depressed too, cause couldn't play at my full potential," Stewart said. "Knowing that, I was really cheating myself.”
The season wound down with Stewart shut down late in the regular season, and he also missed the bowl game. He was limited again in the spring while continuing his recovery, but fall camp has brought a different version of the sophomore defensive lineman.
“I'm 1,000 percent back healthy. Coach Riley, Coach Tru [Trumain Carroll] they helped me after the surgery,” Stewart said.
“I had got surgery Dec. 3.
After that, I slowly got back. I started slowly building up.
I started lifting and got my leg right, got my foot right. I feel as though now, I'm 1,000 percent, I can't wait to put on for my team.”
That return matters for USC, especially with Stewart’s frame and tools. At 6-foot-5 and 295 pounds, he has the kind of size and burst that can change things inside, and the Trojans need that kind of presence in the Big Ten. Stewart believes the year he’s already banked has only sharpened his game.
“I feel more comfortable,” Stewart said. “I feel as though just knowing I got a year under my belt, I'm basically a vet now.
Knowing I can trust my coaches and trust the playing scheme that Coach Riley and Coach Gary Patterson got planned for me, I can help the team out a lot. I could really look at the game, and the game has slowed down for me now.”
USC also added another important piece up front in Michigan State transfer Alex VanSumeren, a move that may not stay under the radar for long after he served as one of three player representatives at Big Ten Media Days in Chicago last week.
VanSumeren has started 24 games for the Spartans over the past two seasons, giving him the kind of Big Ten background that can matter in a room full of younger players. Stewart said that experience has already made him a valuable voice in the defensive line group.
“He got a tough mindset,” Stewart said. “I got that person next to me I really could trust.
Alex is one of the ones you really got to pick his brain because he’s gonna give you the game. He knows a lot of football.“
In Other News...
Lincoln Riley Just Offered USC Fans Their First Real 2026 Clue
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Lincoln Riley also gave Trojans fans a long-view glimpse they can file away for later, even as the present still feels very much under construction. The day covered the usual camp checkpoints, but the bigger takeaway was that USC is entering the season with a lot still to be answered, from how the roster fits together to which jobs are going to settle in the weeks ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Lincoln Riley Just Framed USCs Toughest Roster Decision Yet
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Riley also pointed to the new NCAA five-for-five redshirt rule as a useful tool for handling that squeeze, since it gives programs more flexibility in keeping players engaged while protecting eligibility. On the field, he singled out running backs Waymond Jordan and King Miller as a duo with real upside, a reminder that even amid the paperwork and roster math, USC is still trying to sort out which players can give the offense its clearest edge. [Read more 🡒]
King Miller Gives USC A Run Game Fans Can Believe In
King Miller went from former walk-on to one of the more reliable pieces in USCs offense last season, and the Trojans are now banking on his growth becoming a bigger part of what they do on the ground. Thrust into the lineup because of injuries, Miller answered with 972 yards and eight touchdowns in 2025, then earned a scholarship and spent the offseason adding 15 pounds to help him hold up to a bigger load.
The challenge now is turning one breakout year into something more sustainable, especially with Waymond Jordan back healthy and ready to share the backfield. USC should have a real foundation up front, too, with all five starters back on an experienced offensive line, which gives the Trojans a chance to run the ball with more consistency than they have in a while. [Read more 🡒]