USC's Jahkeem Stewart trains with NFL legend Aaron Donald

Gabriel S. Esparza

NFC Wild Card Playoffs: Minnesota Vikings v Los Angeles Rams / Brooke Sutton/GettyImages

Maybe it would have happened anyway. It likely didn't hurt that current USC co-defensive coordinator Eric Henderson was also at one point the d-line position coach for the Los Angeles Rams and Aaron Donald.

Either way, it once again shows why USC provides the best all-around environment for Trojan student-athletes to be on a national platform while being developed at the highest level. The latest of such examples came when clips of Jahkeem Stewart were shared. They showed the freshman working out with Donald.

Safe to say, if a defensive talent wants to model their game off of anyone, Donald would be a great place to start. Being able to train and work out is nice from the obvious aspect of building muscle, but then also adding the component of spending time around one of the NFL greats and learning directly from someone who achieved at a high level is the type of thing that will pay off immensely.

Stewart, or perhaps more commonly known as 'Thanos,' is someone whom many Trojan fans have a lot of expectations for entering the upcoming 2025 season. Seemingly every time there is a new post or circulated clip of the first-year collegiate player, his intimidation or aura factor goes up that much more than what it was already at.

Big year ahead on the USC defensive line

Another interesting point of comparison is seeing Donald and Stewart side-by-side. Certainly the Super Bowl winner is more developed at this point. The size of the current USC player stands out when looking at the two next to each other all the same.

There is a lot of potential, and watching Stewart line up in the coach D'Anton Lynn defense is something that should excite Trojan supporters. If he continues to train with and pick up tips from Donald, a lot of individual awards and team success will easily be in line for 'Thanos'.

Gabriel S. Esparza

Gabriel Esparza is a FanSided contributor. He enjoys writing about and covering multiple sports across all aspects. You can follow him on X: @SportsPulse100. He can usually be found catching a current game or rewatching one from the past. His prior work has been featured on Yardbarker and MSN. When he isn't enjoying a game, he's listening to a podcast or enjoying some good tunes.