USC · Big TenUSC must replace Jahkeem Stewart’s interior disruption before Big Ten play
Stewart is expected to miss USC’s first three games after another foot issue, and the timing matters because center Kilian O’Connor is already out for the season. The Trojans have young defensive tackles available, but September now becomes a live audition before Rutgers.
AUG 22, 2026
Tackles for loss Stewart recorded last season, second on USC.
Opening games Stewart is expected to miss.
National ranking of Stewart as a 2025 recruit.
01 · The NewsWhat Happened
Matt Zenitz reports that USC defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart is expected to miss several weeks with a foot injury. WeAreSC.com confirmed the injury and reported that Stewart is expected to miss the first three games. The report also says the injury is on the same foot that bothered him last season and is believed to be a stress fracture. Stewart was seen on crutches and with what appeared to be a boot earlier this week. A return for USC’s Sept. 19 game against Rutgers has been reported, but USC hasn’t announced a timetable. The Trojans have already lost center Kilian O’Connor for the season after a lower-body injury that required surgery.
02 · The StakesWhy This One Matters
Stewart played through last year’s foot problem after missing the opener, then appeared in the next 11 games. He still produced 7.5 tackles for loss, an interception and a forced fumble, earned FWAA All-American honors, and became USC’s first FWAA defensive line All-American since Leonard Williams in 2012. He also missed the Alamo Bowl before undergoing surgery to prepare for 2026. This is a player USC expected to break out, not a young tackle waiting on a role. The opening games against San Jose State, Fresno State and Louisiana give USC room to manage the loss. The margin gets thinner when the schedule reaches Rutgers.
03 · The Detail Beneath the HeadlineWhat Most People Are Missing
The part easy to miss is that USC may get useful defensive tackle reps before it gets a clear answer on Stewart’s availability. Floyd Boucard is a sophomore. Jaimeon Winfield is a five-star freshman. Both can receive work against the early schedule, but neither has Stewart’s college résumé. That creates a test USC didn’t ask for in August. Can the room produce enough on early downs that the defense doesn’t have to protect the inside with extra bodies? That matters because extra help near the line can leave fewer defenders for the pass. The young tackles don’t need to become Stewart. They need to keep USC from changing its whole front while he’s gone.
04 · The PersonnelNext Man Up
Boucard should get the first serious chance to make this manageable. USC’s defensive room outlook specifically points to more work for him, and a larger role for a sophomore is easier to judge against the first three opponents than it would be against a Big Ten front. Winfield is the more volatile possibility. He was one of the major pieces in USC’s 2025 recruiting class, but the staff hasn’t announced a depth-chart decision. If he earns a regular rotation spot, USC gets an early look at whether his physical gifts are ready for college snaps. If he stays on the fringe, Boucard carries more of the load until Stewart is available. The next useful answer won’t come from one splash play. It’ll come from whether one of those tackles stays on the field through a full series without forcing USC to change its front. That’s the job waiting in September.
05 · The ThesisThe Pate State Read
USC can absorb Stewart’s absence for the opening stretch. The schedule gives the Trojans room to use Boucard and Winfield without pretending either player has already replaced an All-American interior presence. The bigger concern is availability, not a single missing Saturday. Stewart dealt with the same foot problem last year, and USC’s center is already finished for the season. That leaves the Trojans asking younger players to carry real snaps while a second important piece is unavailable. The defense doesn’t need to panic. It does need one of those tackles to become dependable enough that Stewart can re-enter a rotation rather than return to a room waiting for rescue. That makes Rutgers the first hard checkpoint. If Boucard has held the point and Winfield has given USC usable snaps, the injury stays contained. If neither has done that, the problem has crossed from September inconvenience into Big Ten personnel trouble. The first-down run defense will tell the story.
06 · The Watch ListWhat We're Watching
Who takes the second tackle rotation?
USC’s opening defensive series should show whether Boucard receives the larger role or whether Winfield enters early. That choice will reveal how quickly the staff trusts the younger room.
Is Stewart available for Rutgers?
The reported target is Sept. 19, but no USC return date has been announced. Missing that game would extend the issue into the start of Big Ten play.
Can USC hold up on early downs?
The useful on-field clue is the first and second down run defense. If the tackles hold their gaps, USC can keep its usual front. If opponents move them, the absence is already changing the defense.
Does Stewart practice without restriction?
A return to the field won’t answer everything. The next reporting cycle should clarify whether Stewart is working toward contact and a real rotation, rather than merely appearing in warmups.