Jahkeem Stewart, nation's No. 1 prospect, trims list
It's incredibly early in the 2026 recruiting cycle, but St. Augustine (Louisiana) five-star defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart has already established himself as one of the nation's best.
Nicknamed "Thanos" after the Marvel supervillain, the 6-foot-6, 270-pound defender is already an imposing force.
Perhaps that's why he's generated offers from most of the top programs in the country despite being almost two full years away from being able to sign a National Letter of Intent.
On Tuesday, Stewart took a significant step forward in his recruiting process, trimming his list of offers down to 15 suitors - Alabama, Auburn, Colorado, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M and USC.
The five-star recruit has previously visited Alabama, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Texas, USC and others, so those inclusions are far from a surprise.
What will Stewart's eventual team be getting?
As a sophomore, he registered 83 tackles, 33 tackles-for-loss and 20 sacks.
Here's what 247Sports had to say about Stewart in its scouting report:
"Large-framed front-line defensive prospect with rare physical traits relative to his age. Several excellent camp performances put him on the radar very early. Simply needs more reps in pads but they will come, and has flashed explosive disruptiveness in early game exposure. Excellent height with plus length and a relatively lean build on a frame with immense bulking capacity. Better flexibility and bend than you might expect. Flashes hand violence and point-of-attack power. Capable of dip-and-bend ability from the edge with size and strength to play the interior. Still developing pass-rush repertoire but has shown encouraging technical nuance and feel for his age. Elite young defensive line prospect given outstanding physical tools and promising movement ability. Possesses exceptionally high long-term developmental ceiling."
Sophomore season highlights
