The USC Trojans' defense has improved in the 2026 season, but through four games, they are still without one of their best players on the defensive line. Star underclassman Jahkeem Stewart has yet to take a snap this season, dealing with a stress fracture in his foot that ailed him last year as well.
So, will Stewart see the field for the first time this week against the Oregon Ducks? It's certainly possible, but at this point, head coach Lincoln Riley is still unwilling to speak in absolutes.
"We're definitely making progress," Riley said on Tuesday night. "He's definitely getting better and better each week, and hopefully we're not too far away."The timeline for Stewart has been interesting, to say the least. He was expected to be healthy and ready
to go at the start of the season after dealing with a broken foot that he suffered in fall camp. Just days before USC's season opener in August of this year, it was announced that Stewart suffered another injury to his foot, though Riley described it as "minor" and something that wouldn't hold him out for an extended period of time.
There were expectations that Stewart would play in Week 2 against Louisiana, but warm-ups didn't go as smoothly as planned, and he was held out again. Then, Stewart was ruled out of the Week 3 game at Rutgers and did not travel to Piscatoway for that game.
Lincoln Riley on the status of sophomore DL Jahkeem Stewart, who is dealing w/ a foot injury:
— Ryan Kartje (@RyanKartje) September 23, 2026
“We do feel like we’re going to have him here at some point. But it’s a little bit kind of touch and go as that goes on.”
He said Stewart is “hopefully not too far away.” pic.twitter.com/ShKawJpQH0
"We were planning on playing him a little bit against Louisiana provided the warm-up went perfect," Riley said on Tuesday. "It didn't go bad; it just didn't go perfect, and he just wasn't quite ready, so we made a decision to pull him back a little bit. And obviously, he wasn't quite ready last week. So he's continuing to rest, continuing to get healthier. We do feel like we're gonna have him here at some point. But it's a little bit just kind of touch and go as that goes on. … We're trying to manage enough time to rest but also not being too conservative with it."
Does "have him here at some point" mean Stewart will play on Saturday vs. the Ducks? That's the million-dollar question. As a freshman, Stewart racked up 18 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, one fumble recovery, and one interception in 11 games.
The first official Big Ten Availability Report for this game will come out on Wednesday night at 5 p.m. PT, so we will learn more about Stewart's status then.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Lincoln Riley provides update on USC DL Jahkeem Stewart before Week 4
