Jahkeem Stewart explains reclassification decision, picks USC | Preparatory sports

Jahkeem Stewart had already completed most of the coursework he needed to graduate from high school in two and a half years before the five-star defensive lineman stepped onto the Edna Karr High School campus at the start of the school year in September.

What happened Wednesday was just the next step in what he called a long journey.

Stewart made his decision to play college football at Southern Cal official when the former St. Augustine football star and current Karr student signed a letter of intent during a National Signing Day ceremony at Karr Gymnasium.

“It’s been a long journey,” Stewart said. “I’m glad I’m in these shoes now.”

Stewart will enroll at Southern Cal in January after playing just one collegiate high school football campaign. According to the school’s coaches at the time, he finished that season at St. Augustine in 2023 with 85 total tackles, 33 for loss and 20 sacks.

He remained in St. Augustine throughout the summer, participating in a preseason bout against Destrehan and a jamboree against Shaw, but withdrew the week before the season opener.

The decision to reclassify and then move to Karr meant that Stewart, who was listed by the Rivals as the No. 1 player in the country at his position for the 2025 signing class, played his final two seasons of high school football wouldn’t play.

“I went through a lot to get here and sign,” said Stewart, who listed LSU, Ohio State and Oregon among the other schools he considered. “It showed all the work I put in; it pays off. I have made many sacrifices. It’s crazy. My story is a long story.

“Because I’ve only played football for a year. Moving from St. John Parish to New Orleans with coach (and mentor Clyde Alexander) is a time away from my family.

“I’ll say a lot more, but I feel good now. It’s like a monkey off my back and I don’t have to worry about it. All I can worry about is that I might put my head down and just grind. I feel very comfortable with that.”

Stewart decided to leave St. Augustine because the school “didn’t want to help me reclassify,” he said.

“At Karr, they welcomed me with open arms,” Stewart said. “They accepted me even though they knew I couldn’t play football (due to the LHSAA’s transfer eligibility rules). That showed that they weren’t using me for football. I respect that very much.”

Karr coach Brice Brown said the decision to let Stewart graduate high school early wasn’t automatic. It wasn’t until Stewart arrived at the school that it became clear he would be on track to graduate soon.

“He had already done the job,” Brown said. “Once you get the job done, it’s something he earned and he did it on his own. For us the question was: were we ready to reclassify ourselves? But I think if you’ve done the work and put yourself in a position to complete the work and do it right, then you deserve it. He deserves it.”

Brown said the courses Stewart is currently taking “are his senior courses.”

“He has Biology 2. He has English 4. He has a research paper to turn in on Friday,” Brown said. “These are the expectations of every high school student. He has the same expectations. Student first, athlete second.”

At Southern Cal, Stewart will have former Karr football star Eric Henderson as his defensive line coach.

“Coach Henny, he can relate to my story,” Stewart said. “I can say a lot about coach Henny. And you know, coach Skyler (Jones). They talked to me a lot during this recruiting process. They never talked bad about no other schools, they never talked bad about no other coaches. It just felt like home.”

Once he arrives in Los Angeles, Stewart believes he can make a difference at USC.

“If you put me in there, you get some one-on-one time with me and I can do a lot of things,” Stewart said. “I can change the game. I’m a game changer, and at USC, the coaches there know I’m a game changer.

“All the other schools that recruited me know me and know what type of game I bring to the table. It’s going to be a long year. It’s going to be difficult. It will be very difficult. I look forward to it. I will never shy away from competition. I will never back down from work.”