Five-star defensive end Jahkeem Stewart, ESPN’s No. 1 prospect for the class of 2026, is no longer enrolled at New Orleans’ St. Augustine High School, ESPN confirmed Friday afternoon, opening the door for a momentous in-season transfer and potential reclassification for the class of 2025.
Stewart, the 6-foot-6, 275-pound junior, confirmed his departure from St. Augustine and told ESPN he plans to join a new program immediately, considering schools both in and outside of Louisiana with hopes of enrolling as early as Monday. The decision comes as Stewart is considering reclassifying into the class of 2025, which presents the possibility he could complete his high school career this fall and arrive on a college campus as early as January.
“St. Augustine helped me become a much better person than I was before I went there; it taught me a lot of things,” Stewart said. “My plan is to find a school that will really help me make a decision; a place that will help me improve and make the decision I'm trying to make.”
An elite defensive line prospect, Stewart received offers from a list of major-conference programs even before his freshman season at St. Augustine, where he emerged as an overwhelming force in rushing the quarterback from the edge and interior. Stewart finished with 85 total tackles (33 for loss) and 20 sacks in his junior season last fall and played in the program’s season opener last Friday.
If Stewart decides to reclassify this fall, he will instantly become ESPN’s top uncommitted prospect in the 2025 cycle. Stewart released his top 15 schools earlier this year on a list stacked with SEC and Big 10 programs along with Miami, Florida State and Colorado.
Stewart's summer visit list included trips to Ohio State, LSU, Oregon, Texas and Auburn, and he was in Las Vegas in Week 1 for the neutral-site opener between USC and LSU. Stewart does not plan to visit any campuses in Week 2.
“We just want to relax this weekend, maybe find a school,” she said. “I should go to school somewhere on Monday or Tuesday.”
