Nicknamed 'Thanos' for a reason, Jahkeem Stewart poised for great USC career

Entering college with a nickname before even having played a single down at the Division 1 level says a lot about USC freshman Jahkeem Stewart. The Trojans' ability to sell the talented player from New Orleans, Louisiana, on coming to Los Angeles is something that will end up meaning more than even his eventual sack total.

From his perspective, it could have been seen as taking something of a chance. After all, it cannot be cast aside that this defense has not performed where it needs to for a number of years now. Stewart could have gone anywhere he wanted in the nation.

LSU in particular was hoping to secure what would have been for them a local commitment.

Now, the freshman is embarking on a journey as a member of the Trojan defense under the guidance of coach D'Anton Lynn that started from the middle of the country. Early on, it's safe to say that Stewart is enjoying being a member of this USC football team so far.

Between the warm reception and being able to work out with Aaron Donald, this is exactly what Stewart bargained for when deciding to come to USC. The toolkit is there for him to build his legacy with the Trojans in 2025.

Stewart has the size, strength, and agility to win off the line of scrimmage and make plays in the backfield. It needs to also be remembered that the defensive lineman reclassified and is joining the college ranks a year early.

Highly anticipated USC debut

Even on the off-chance that Stewart has a slow start this year, there is a lot of room for him to continue to improve. That likely will be a complete non-issue, though. Most likely, Stewart has a good freshman year and then builds on it while improving throughout his entire stay with the Trojans.

When looking for someone to dominate in the trenches and set the tone on defense, being able to turn to 'Thanos' seems like a fairly reliable option. He may be a USC newcomer, but Stewart is going to grab national headlines this fall and a couple more falls to come.