USC Trojans defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart made his presence felt against No. 13 Oregon, but the talented defensive lineman showed off his game-changing abilities in USC's win over Washington. Now, Stewart and the Trojans are preparing to face the Penn State Nittany Lions in the White Out, what should be the most hostile environment USC will face all season.
After struggling to put away Rutgers on the road earlier in the year, how will USC fare against Penn State? The Trojans are seemingly using every sound system available to prepare for the White Out in Beaver Stadium, with Stewart revealing that the team has even off of the practice field:
Penn State fans cheer on the Nittany Lions before playing Iowa in a White Out football game at Beaver Stadium Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, in State College, Pa. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
"It's going to be a great game. . . . They have a great program right now. We've been playing the sound system every day, especially even in the team rooms, to get used to the sound. Me? I don't think we'll get used the sound because it's going to be louder than that. But, just trusting our program, our scheme, and everything. I feel as though we'll have a great game. They have a great running back corps and a great O-line. We're excited to go out there and play together as one."
Communication will be key for USC's defense, but the Trojans seem to be trending in the right direction after the win over Washington. Stewart and company held the Huskies to 21 points, sacking quarterback Demond Williams five times and picking up six tackles for loss.
Stewart reflected on the team's performance agains Washington while looking ahead to the challenge that Penn State presents:
"No, it was great. I feel as though the defense did a great job. We had a lot to fix, and we still have a lot to fix. We stepped up big time in the game, but we're slowly getting to where we want to be. We play connected, and I feel as though we have to play much more connected going into the environment and this weekend."
Sep 26, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart (4) celebrates with defensive end Kameryn Crawford (1) after a defensive stop against the Oregon Ducks during the second half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
"17.2. (miles per hour). I ran a 17.2. But if you really add it up, 17.2 plus 4, yeah, about 22.2."
"Yea, I had gumbo, cornbread dressing, potato salad, jambalaya, turkey things. I had a lot of food. My family came down and cooked for me. They come up every home game and cook for me, so I was full."
"Great, because I don't party. They always come back and make me feel like home. They play the music I used to listen to when I was young, so I had flashback moments. We always talk about when I used to be a bad little boy," Stewart said with a laugh. "They always tell me I was bad. Nobody wanted to watch me growing up. They have fun joking about me, but seeing them happy makes me happy. That's all that matters."
"Playing free. Especially as a D-line, the big word was play free: play together, play as one. I feel as though that's what we did. Slowly. We're not where we want to be, especially as a D-line. We want to be one of the best D-lines to come through USC, one of the best D-lines to play. Our coaches just telling us to go out there and play the game we've been playing since we were three, four, five years old, and we did that."
"Shout-out to our edges, especially Coach Nua, for telling the edges what they need to hear. Coach Skaggs tells us what we need to hear. We all came together as one. We trusted our edges, and the edges trusted us. We got to the quarterback a few times. He was small but fast, so it's very hard to get him. Shout-out to him; he's a great quarterback."
Sep 4, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans defensive coordinator Gary Patterson during the game against the Fresno State Bulldogs at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
"He's slowly getting out of the TCU mindset. With the weapons we have right now. It's a big difference between the generations of what coached at TCU and now. Knowing he got playmakers on the defensive front, especially the front seven. He knows he can blitz people and play zone. It's little things like that he can trust in, especially our D-line front."
"He's slowly getting to the trust with that. It took time, but we're coming together and he's getting there. He's a great coach. Coach P is a great coach. He's a hard worker, and us just feeding off his work, we're going to do great things."
"We have to play for him (Ta'Mere Robinson) and Zechariah Fisher for sure. Tamer is a great guy. Shout-out to Tamer. He had a big step up, and Zechariah Fisher had a big step up too. He's always getting in the backfield. He actually missed a sack. That's my dog."
Sep 26, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans linebacker Ta'Mere Robinson (14) celebrates with defensive tackle Jide Abasiri (97) and safety Kennedy Urlacher (9) after a defensive play against the Oregon Ducks during the second half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
"I look up to both of them because of where they come from and because they're older than me. I can always learn from them. I'm going to play for them, but I'm also going to play for the whole team. It's more personal to them too."
"It helped a lot. A big shout-out to 8-Ball (Desman Stephens II). He's coming back this week. He's going to be a great addition, especially knowing who he is as a player. I can't wait to see him step up and be the person he wants to be. Our linebackers are great. They trust us, and we have to trust them. That's all it takes: trusting each other and playing as one. Once we do that, great things will come."
Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook , and X for the latest news.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/usc as USC's Jahkeem Stewart Offers Insight Into Preparation for Penn State White Out .
