No. 1 2026 DL says Texas football 'feels like home' when he visits

A top priority among elite out-of-state prospects for Texas football in the 2026 recruiting class, five-star New Orleans (LA) St. Augustine defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart, recently announced his top 15 schools.

Texas was included among the 15 schools Stewart is "focusing on" in his recruitment from here on out. There is a heavy SEC flavor for the top 15 schools for the No. 1 recruit in the nation in the 2026 class in the 247Sports Composite.

Texas football standing out to No. 1 2026 DL Jahkeem Stewart

Texas is one of many SEC schools in Stewart's top 15, which also includes the LSU Tigers, Alabama Crimson Tide, Georgia Bulldogs, Auburn Tigers, and Texas A&M Aggies.

But there are also some schools from the other power conferences that have made big impressions on Stewart so far in his recruitment, including the Ohio State Buckeyes, Oregon Ducks, and USC Trojans.

Stewart told 247Sports director of recruiting Steve Wiltfong that the top group of schools that are recruiting him the hardest are Alabama, Oregon, Texas, Ohio State, and USC.

Stewart said what he likes about Texas is the atmosphere on campus, the "great fans", and the coaching staff. He stated that Texas "feels like home when I visit there" and that the "atmosphere is nuts".

Stewart hasn't officially met new Texas defensive line coach Kenny Baker yet. But he said that he is "excited to meet the new D-line coach soon".

Last year, Stewart visited Texas multiple times. He visited Tuscaloosa in Week 2 last fall to see the Longhorns beat Alabama at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Opportunity for early playing time

Something else that caught Stewart's attention with Texas is how the staff is willing to play underclassmen early if they're ready to make an impact in live-game action. He sees the way that Texas is getting these young impact guys ready for the SEC in 2024 and how much better the player development has been under head coach Steve Sarkisian and his staff in the last few years.

Texas is sending two potential first round picks at defensive tackle to the NFL Draft this spring in T'Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy II. Having two early-round picks in the NFL Draft this year shows how much better Texas is doing with player development now than they have in the previous decade.

Texas has pulled elite talent from Louisiana in recent recruiting classes

The state of Louisiana has been a fruitful pipeline for the Longhorns on the recruiting trail in the last few cycles. Texas has landed elite recruits from Louisiana in the last two or three classes, including high-four-star safety Derek Williams, high-four-star cornerback Wardell Mack, and five-star quarterback Arch Manning, among others.

Stewart is one of those next guys up in the 2025 and 2026 recruiting classes who the Longhorns are prioritizing among the truly elite talents from The Boot.

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