Jahkeem Stewart is a true freshman. He is already one of the most prominent leaders on the college football team at USC.
His on-field play has been impressive but his strong character is what makes him who he is.
It takes more than talent to be a good college football player. Stewart’s impact extends beyond the field.
It doesn’t rain often in Southern California.
Los Angeles gets approximately 34 days of precipitation annually. Less than 10% of the year.
And of those 34 days, the rainfall rarely gets above a drizzle.
Last weekend was a different story. An atmospheric river rolled through the region and brought a torrential downpour with it. Downtown Los Angeles recorded approximately 2.8 inches through Monday, while foothill communities and reservoirs in the San Fernando Valley received 4 to 6 inches or more during the five-day deluge. The rainfall broke daily records in multiple locations, dating back to 1952.
Not only were the high school football games on Friday impacted by the weather in a big way, as were the Trojans. It was wet at the coliseum.
Los Angelenos don’t know what to do in the rain so the crowd was sparse.
USC ultimately defeated Iowa by a final score of 26-21.
USC football player Jahkeem Stewart put his character on display.
Stewart, a 6-foot-5, 290-pound defensive lineman, committed to USC as a four-star recruit in the Class of 2025. The Louisiana-native chose the Trojans over 25 other offers from schools like Oregon, Alabama, Georgia, Miami, Michigan, Auburn, Ohio State, Penn State, Ole Miss and in-state LSU, among others.
Everybody said he was going to transfer after one year in L.A. Heck, he still might! However, Jahkeem Stewart has played a crucial role for USC this season as a true freshman in more ways than one.
Stewart has 10 total tackles on the year with one sack and one interception. His unusual pick against the Hawkeyes over the weekend helped to flip the momentum of the game in favor of the Trojans.
THANOS!!!!
— USC Football ✌️ (@uscfb) November 15, 2025
📺 @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/yDj0veTjiN
But it is as a leader in the locker room where he truly stands out as a high-class young man.
A video from pregame on Saturday shows USC leaving the locker room at the Coliseum in the rain. There Stewart stands as his teammates head out toward the field, greeting them all with encouragement and a high(or low)-five.
Coming out of the locker room before the Iowa game, Jahkeem Stewart stopped to shake his teammates’ hands in the rain. Stewart’s play has been very good this season, but his makeup stands out to me the most. pic.twitter.com/jJLy7TIvNP
— Connor Morrissette (@C_Morrissette) November 19, 2025
It’s the little things. Big plays come a dime a dozen. Morale, respect and influence lasts forever.
Shoutout to Jahkeem Stewart!