close
close

Jahkeem Stewart, the No. 1 football candidate for 2026, is moving

Five-star defensive end Jahkeem Stewart, ESPN's most promising prospect for the class of 2026, is no longer enrolled at St. Augustine High School in New Orleans, opening the door to a huge midseason transfer and possible reclassification into the class of 2025.

Stewart, a 6-foot-6, 275-pound high school senior, confirmed his departure from St. Augustine and told ESPN he plans to immediately join a new program. He is considering schools both in and outside of Louisiana and hopes to begin accepting new students as early as Monday. The decision comes as Stewart considers transferring to the class of 2025, opening the possibility that he could finish his high school career this fall and land on a college campus as soon as January.

“St. Augustine has helped me become a much better person than I was before. I learned a lot there,” Stewart said. “My plan is to find a school that will really help me with my decision – a place that will push me forward and help me make the decision I'm trying to make.”

An elite defensive line prospect, Stewart had offers from a number of power conference programs even before his freshman season at St. Augustine, where he emerged as an overwhelming pass-rushing force from the sidelines and inside. Stewart finished last fall with 85 total tackles (33 for loss) and 20 sacks and played in the program's season opener on Friday.

If Stewart chooses to reclassify, he will become ESPN's top uncommitted prospect in the 2025 cycle. Stewart released his top 15 schools earlier this year in a list packed with SEC and Big Ten programs, as well as Miami, Florida State and Colorado.

Stewart's list of summer visits included trips to Ohio State, LSU, Oregon, Texas and Auburn, and in Week 1 he was in Las Vegas for the neutral-site opening game between USC and LSU. Stewart doesn't plan on making any campus visits in Week 2.

“We just want to relax this weekend and maybe find a school,” he said. “I should go to school somewhere Monday or Tuesday.”