The No. 20 Oregon Ducks and the No. 12 USC Trojans match up in a Big Ten showdown in Week 4 of the college football season. This rivalry dates back to 1915, but the Ducks have found success recently, winning eight of the last 10 games.
Both teams are dealing with injuries going into this game, and the Trojans listed defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart as questionable. He hasn't been able to suit up at all this season, but it appears he will play in this game.
Stewart posted on his Instagram account on Saturday morning with the caption, "Thank you God, in advance for letting me play the sport I love again. Your timing is the best timing, and it's the only timing."
While we have to wait to see the final injury report before the game, it seems USC fans should expect to see Stewart make his 2026 debut.
Jahkeem Stewart appears to be trending towards playing vs. Oregon
Stewart hasn't played in any games for the Trojans this season, as he's been dealing with a foot injury that he suffered in the offseason. Over the past few weeks, USC head coach Lincoln Riley has insisted that Stewart hasn't experienced any setback, effectively downplaying any sort of concern.
While that is what fans wanted to hear, seeing him take the field is what will calm the nerves of players and coaches. Stewart is one of the best players on USC's defense, and getting him back out there would be beneficial for that group.
Last season, he appeared in 11 games, logging 18 total tackles, 7.5 TFLs, 1.5 sacks, one fumble recovery, and one interception. There's a lot of belief that he's one of the players who can take that jump for USC, and if he does play, it will help out USC's defensive front.
The Ducks enter this game averaging 49.7 points per game and 506 yards of total offense. At the same time, the Trojans' defense has allowed 30-plus points in consecutive weeks to Louisiana and Rutgers. Considering that Oregon has a far better offense, getting one of your top defensive players out there would be huge.
How Stewart looks during pregame will be the final test. Riley expressed that the team planned on getting him some action against Louisiana if all things went perfectly during warm-ups, but that clearly didn't happen.
It looks like the extra time off gave him the rest he needed, and his arrow is trending up. This matchup is the biggest test USC has had to face thus far in the season. For a team looking to make a College Playoff push, they need all the wins over ranked opponents they can get, and it starts with the Ducks on Saturday, in arguably the biggest game of Riley's coaching career with USC.
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