No. 1 football recruit Stewart reclassifies to 2025

Eli Lederman, ESPN Personnel WriterOct 5, 2024, 01:16 PM ET Close Eli Lederman covers college football and recruiting for ESPN.com. He joined ESPN in 2024 after covering the University of Oklahoma for Sellout Crowd and the Tulsa World.Five-star defensive end Jahkeem Stewart, ESPN’s No. 1 total prospect in the class of 2026, announced his reclassification into the 2025 class Saturday, immediately sealing him as one of the most desirable uncommitted potential customers in the cycle two months out of the early signing period.Stewart, a 6-foot-6, 270-pound pass rush from New Orleans, announced

his reclassification on social media.Ohio State, Oregon, LSU and USC are now considered the finalists for Stewart’s promise.

He will go to each school over the next 2 months, a source verified to ESPN.Editor’s Picks”He’s been dominating 4-and luxury potential customers given that seventh grade,”Clyde Alexander, a coach who represents Stewart, informed ESPN.”A few of those kids remain in the NFL now, and [Stewart] still had 2 more years of high school. Every head coach, coordinator and [protective line coach] has him as the No. 1 player on their board despite class. “Stewart emerged as the nation’s highest-ranked high school defender at New Orleans’St. Augustine High School, where he totaled 85 total deals with( 33 for loss)and 20 sacks in his sophomore season last fall. Stewart is ineligible to complete in Louisiana high school football this fall following his in-season transfer from St. Augustine to close-by Edna Karr High School last month, a move that indicated Stewart’s eventual strategies to reclassify.”St. Augustine assisted me become a method much better man than I was entering there. It taught me a great deal of things, “Stewart informed ESPN on Sept. 6.”My strategy is to discover a school that I’m searching for to truly just help with my choice. A place that will better me and help decide I’m trying to make.” Stewart’s reclassification lands him as the highest-ranked uncommitted prospect in the 2025 class, tossing a match into the last months of the cycle ahead of the Dec. 4 early finalizing period. Other high-profile uncommitted potential customers consist of luxury protectors Elijah Griffin(No. 5 in ESPN 300)and Justus Terry(No. 7 )and four-star athlete Michael Terry (No. 24). Stewart took summertime journeys to Ohio State, LSU, Oregon, Texas and Auburn, and he remained in Las Vegas in Week 1 for the neutral website opener between USC and LSU.