Five-star DL signee Jahkeem Stewart sets mission to bring childhood friend Deuce Geralds to USC

Five-star defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart is one of the crown jewels of USC's 2025 class. While preparing for his future at USC, he is also working to recruit other talent, including his childhood friend and four-star defensive lineman Deuce Geralds.

Stewart shared a retweet about their past connection, with the caption:

"Family 🤞🏾."

Geralds is a versatile defensive lineman capable of playing both inside and outside. He excels at blowing up plays in the backfield, using leverage to disrupt blocking schemes and stopping the run. His talent earned him a spot as a 2025 Polynesian Bowl All-Star last week.

Geralds continues to make waves in the recruitment scene, securing offers from Stanford on Jan. 7 and Colorado the next day. While he has released a top 12 list, he highlighted six standout programs: Miami, LSU, Ole Miss, Alabama, Ohio State and Oklahoma.

Although USC didn’t make the list, the Trojans are not entirely out of contention.

"USC is pretty solid," Geralds told 247Sports. "They have two good defensive line coaches.

Geralds mentioned that he feels most comfortable making a commitment shortly after taking official visits.

Jahkeem Stewart's trainer defends his fast-tracked journey to USC

Jahkeem Stewart was originally part of the 2026 class and was expected to play his junior season this fall. However, after transferring to Edna Karr High School, he became ineligible and missed his junior season.

Stewart later reclassified into the 2025 cycle and signed with USC last month. He joined the Trojans after playing only 12 varsity games, and several analysts raised eyebrows over that fact:

"I've heard people say that this whole recruitment process is sped up or rushed, but that really isn't the case," Clyde Alexander, Stewart's trainer, told ESPN. "From day one, he has been training to be a pro. Not even just physically, but training to have a pro mentality."

However, Stewart proved his caliber when he made 85 tackles (33 for loss) and 20 sacks as a sophomore. He is the No. 3 defensive lineman in the 2026 class and the No. 16 recruit in the nation, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. Despite the skepticism surrounding his potential, the USC commit is determined to start for the Trojans next season.