Why Jahkeem Stewart is On3's early No. 1 in 2026

On3 released the initial On300 for the 2026 cycle on Monday, with defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart debuting as the nation’s No. 1 overall prospect.

The 6-foot-5.5, 265-pounder from New Orleans (La.) St. Augustine is one of three five-stars in the initial release along with Ohio State wide receiver commit Chris Henry Jr. (No. 2) and offensive tackle Immanuel Iheanacho (No. 3).

Considered a top prospect for several years, it should come as no surprise that colleges are lining up for Stewart, with offers from virtually every top program in the nation. So far, Stewart has visited Alabama, LSU, USC, Georgia, Texas, Mississippi State and Ohio State, according to the On3 Visit Center. In-state LSU is out in front early according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine.

Let’s get into what makes Jahkeem Stewart On3’s initial No. 1 prospect in the 2026 cycle.

Jahkeem Stewart is a top physical talent

It doesn’t take long to understand why Jahkeem Stewart is a top prospect upon seeing him in person or on film. At 6-foot-5.5, 260 pounds, Stewart is a true ‘first off the bus’ type. In addition to the considerable stature and girth, Stewart touts plus length and a big frame, with 34+ inch arms and 10.75-inch hands.

He’s an explosive straight-line athlete at that size, having laid down impressive marks in the 40 yard dash and the jumps early on. It’s not out the realm of possibility to envision a 6-foot-6, 290-pounder who runs in the 4.8’s in a few years.

Stewart pairs the size and athleticism with tangible, explosive power. He should easily eclipse the 50+ foot threshold in the shot put – in indicator of functional strength for linemen – likely sooner than later. Stewart has already posted a 47-9.5-foot toss early on in his first track season.

Advanced technical skill level at this stage

Jahkeem Stewart pairs his physical gifts with an uncommon level of technical skill, particularly for a high school prospect. He is the most refined pass rusher in the 2026 cycle at this stage, by a noticeable margin.

Stewart fires off the ball with vigor, displaying great bend. The hand usage is elite for a high school prospect. His hands are quick and violent, routinely neutralizing offensive linemen within a split second. We see him employ a deep bag of pass rush moves and counters – a rarity among high school prospects. Stewart employs swims, rips and spins along with a vicious long-arm.

The size and pass rush skills allow for Stewart to present a mismatch from anywhere along the defensive front. We see him line up as a standup rusher, as a big defensive end and as an interior pass rusher.

Jahkeem Stewart dominates on Friday nights

Jahkeem Stewart entered his first season at St. Augustine with lofty expectations. If anything, he exceeded them. Stewart was a dominant force on Friday nights last fall, posting eye-popping production. In 12 games he racked up 33 tackles for loss, 20 sacks and six forced fumbles. St. Augustine played several of the top programs in southeastern Louisiana and Stewart lived in the backfield in just about every game of the season.

The game film backs up the gaudy stats. Stewart plays with a physical edge and effort level befitting of a top prospect. He’s violent and seeks out contact. In addition to his pass rush skills, he’s a naturally strong run defender. The motor runs hot and we often see him make impressive second-effort plays. The play personality is highly encouraging for a top prospect who has received so much acclaim early in the process.

Looking ahead

Jahkeem Stewart is well ahead of the curve relative to most top defensive line or EDGE prospects at this stage in the process.

While his body type resembles a player like Travon Walker as a high school prospect, the advanced physical ability and technical skills harken back to Rashan Gary at the same stage. Gary, who ranked as the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2016 cycle per the On3 Industry Ranking was dominant in game and camp settings to a degree that we’ve seen early on with Stewart. While Gary was ranked as a defensive lineman coming out of high school, he’s trimmed down and settled in as a pass rusher for the Green Bay Packers. We’ll have to see how his body develops throughout the rest of high school and on into college, but it’s not out of the question we see Jahkeem Stewart take a similar developmental path given his skills.

Any ranking or NFL comparison coming on the heels of a sophomore season should come with the large caveat that this is a far out projection. There’s a little less than two years remaining in the 2026 cycle. While Stewart has shown advanced ability to this point, there are areas to improve, like with his lateral movement skills. The wire-to-wire No. 1 prospect is rare in recent years. There figures to be more competition for the top spot as the cycle progresses. With that said, Jahkeem Stewart has done more than enough to put himself in pole position in this initial On300 release.