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USC signee Jahkeem Stewart gifts Edna Karr High School with $10,000 for student-athlete recovery center

Untitled design (2)by: Sam Gillenwater05/16/25samdg_33
USC defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart during a spring practice with the Trojans
(Erik McKinney | WeAreSC)

Graduation gifts usually go to the students who are graduating. Instead, Edna Karr High School in New Orleans will be receiving one from one of their top football prospects in school history, now officially an alum for the Cougars.

USC DL Jahkeem Stewart recently graduated from Edna Karr ahead of his collegiate career in Los Angeles. Before he went, though, he announced at the podium in front of his class that he’d be making a donation of $10,000 to their football program’s facility.

This isn’t the only way that Stewart, a top-rated recruit, has given back with what wealth he now has in NIL. He, back in February, also bought a new Jeep for his mom.

Stewart came in to finish what ended up being a short high school career at Edna Karr. He’d become the No. 33 overall recruit there as a four-star in the 2025 cycle. He also rates as the No. 5 defensive lineman incoming and the No. 2 prospect out of the state of Louisiana, behind only RB Harlem Berry (St. Martin’s Episcopal School – LSU). That’s according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

“Physically-gifted defensive lineman with a high-end combination of twitch and technical ability at an early stage,” wrote On3’s Charles Power. “Put his name on the national radar with several impressive camp performances as a high school underclassman. Unique scenario and evaluation in that he only played one season of high school football – his true sophomore season in 2023 – due to being ineligible through multiple transfers and then reclassifying to the 2025 cycle. Has an immense amount of ambiguity around his evaluation due to the extreme lack of on-field experience.”

“With that said, looked dominant in his lone year of high school football, totaling 33 tackles for loss and 20 sacks,” Power continued in his scouting evaluation. “One of the biggest unknowns in the cycle due to his unique circumstances. If he can get on the field and develop, has a chance to tap into the high ceiling.

With that, Stewart is the second highest-rated signee for Southern Cal after committing just ahead of National Signing Day back in December over other top programs like LSU, Ohio State, and Oregon along with other SEC interest from Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, and Mississippi State. He’s behind only QB Husan Longstreet, an in-state five-star who’s a Top-25 prospect and the No. 4 QB. They’re the top two freshman in a class of 24 commitments that ranks at No. 15 nationally per On3’s 2025 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings.

Now, coming out of spring practice, Stewart has already stood out in LA. He was noted by those locally who checked out the team last month. ESPN has also now since recognized him as, in a set of Top 10 rankings going into next season, they rated him as a Top 10 freshman to watch in 2025.

Stewart didn’t play a ton, or even spend his whole prep career, at Edna Karr. He still gave back to their school, though, with this five-figure donation on graduation day.