Ducks Digest

Nation's No. 1 Recruit in 2026 Sets Oregon Spring Game Visit

The Ducks are focusing their recruiting efforts on the top sophomore in the country.

Max Torres

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Big-time recruits always seem to be on campus in Eugene. After all, adding top talent to your roster is how you stay competitive and separate yourself from the other teams in college football. 

The Ducks will host the No. 1 recruit in the 2026 class this spring, as New Orleans (La.) St. Augustine defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart will travel to Eugene on April 27 when Oregon holds its annual spring game. The visit was reported on Wednesday by Chad Simmons of On3 Sports.

Stewart stands 6'6" and weighs 270 pounds. He's ranked the No. 1 recruit in the country on the 247Sports Composite, the No. 1 defensive lineman and the No. 1 recruit in Louisiana. 

The best sophomore in America is working from a top 15 group of schools that includes the likes of Oregon, Ohio State, Alabama, Texas and Florida State among others.

His April visit to Eugene won't be his first time in town, as he made the cross-country trip to the Northwest last summer to participate in Oregon's Saturday Night Live camp.

Stewart has been a national recruit for some time now, and Ducks Digest saw him take home defensive line MVP honors last spring at the Under Armour Los Angeles camp.

Oregon is surely in a battle for a top defensive talent, as the best in Louisiana don't tend to leave the state and opt to play for the LSU Tigers. However, this spring trip will be an important one for the Ducks as they hope to create some separation between themselves and the other school in his top group.

Dan Lanning and the Ducks have recruiting momentum when it comes to top defensive linemen after signing a trio of All-Americans at the position in Elijah Rushing, Aydin Breland and Jericho Johnson.

One important recruit is already committed to the Ducks in the 2026 class in Scottsdale (Ariz.) Desert Mountain five-star defensive lineman Tony Cumberland, who's gone on record saying he plans to reclassify to 2025 if possible. 

Oregon's 2025 recruiting class

  • 4* WR Dallas Wilson (Tampa, FL)
  • 4* WR Adrian Wilson (Pflugerville, TX)
  • 4* QB Akili Smith Jr. (San Diego, CA)
  • 3* EDGE Matthew Johnson (Concord, Calif.)
  • 3* OL Chavez "Sandman" Thompson (Melbourne, FL)

Jahkeem Stewart Highlights

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Max Torres
MAX TORRES

Max Torres is the publisher and lead editor of Ducks Digest. He's covered the Oregon football and recruiting beats for four years. He's based out of Long Beach, CA and travels around Southern California and the country covering top high school football prospects.

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