Rival Views: Will Jahkeem Stewart live up to his five-star rating?
Five-star defensive end Jahkeem Stewart has been a star on the recruiting trail for years, showcasing elite measurables and posting dominant performances during the offseason camp circuit. The Louisiana native and USC signee has also crushed the competition when he suited up during the season – which only happened about a dozen times in his high school career.
The debate over Stewart’s final ranking was lengthy and his spot at No. 22 overall is representative of the compromise struck among the national analyst team. The bottom line question regarding his ranking is this: Will Stewart live up to the expectations that come with being rated a five-star and No. 22 in the Rivals250?
National recruiting director Adam Gorney and national recruiting analyst Sam Spiegelman give their takes in today’s Rival Views.
GORNEY’S TAKE: YES
There are definitely some concerns that Stewart has not played in a lot of high school football games because of transferring and I wish he would have played more but what would it have really proven? Stewart has shown time and time again at both Rivals Camp Series events and elsewhere that he is nearly an unstoppable force on the defensive line and he might only be tapping his potential.
The USC signee has the size, physical prowess and mental drive to not only be an elite player but to be a dominant defensive lineman with the Trojans and beyond. I still believe he could be very similar to Chris Jones, who was a five-star prospect, bulked up and is now one of the best defensive linemen in the NFL.
Yes, I wish Stewart would have shown all his abilities on the field at the high school level. But I only think it would have reinforced everything we’ve already known about him – that when he’s on the field, he’s an outstanding player with a relentless drive.
SPIEGELMAN’S TAKE: NO
Stewart is a physical specimen at 6-foot-5 and 285 pounds. The twitchy movements, explosive get-off and rare physical traits are wildly intriguing – enough that SEC coordinators have called him a “generational talent.”
Stewart’s make-up and performances in camp settings are tremendous, but it’s difficult to ignore the lack of real football experience (12 varsity games) and not competing during his senior season. With that long of a gap between football-related competition, there is a sense that there is a steeper gap to climb for most five-star prospects.
There are other recruits with equally as tantalizing skill-sets and less baggage to roll the dice on here.
