Lincoln Riley issues 2-word message for USC’s ‘Thanos’ Jahkeem Stewart after his $10,000 worth gesture for Alma Mater

On Friday, USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley has praised the actions of a member of his team in a post on Instagram.

Jahkeem "Thanos" Stewart, a defensive lineman for the Trojans, has donated $10,000 to his former high school. Riley responded with the following message:

"Very Cool"

Stewart went to Edna Carr High School in New Orleans for his senior year and returned for graduation, where he pledged $10,000 of his NIL earnings to the school. This money will be used to help build a recovery room for the school's athletes.

This is not the first time that Stewart has used the money that he earned through his NIL deals to help others. Earlier in the year, Stewart brought his mother a new car, a generous act that garnered praise from many college football fans.

The 6-foot-6 defensive end will be playing in his first college football season this year and is widely expected to feature in Lincoln Riley's defense. This is after a 2023 season in high school where he made 85 tackles and 20 sacks.

He did not play in the 2024 season due to transferring in-season to Edna Carr High School. Transferring during the season in the state of Louisiana means that one is ineligible to play.

This essentially meant that his high school career ended a year earlier, and it was made official when he reclassified himself from the class of 2026 (where he would have been seen as the overall number one prospect) to the class of 2025.

This also means that Stewart donated to a school's football program that he never played on. This is another reflection of his generous nature that we are seeing.

Why does Jahkeem Stewart have the nickname "Thanos"?

Jahkeem Stewart has gained the nickname "Thanos," and he is embracing it. But where did this nickname come from?

The name refers to the Marvel villain, known for his stature and the sheer power he had. This is something that Stewart is known for having. His high school football coach supports the nickname.

"I mean just going against opponents, to see that kid step off the bus at 6-6 290, that’s intimidating. But also when the athleticism and the play match up with the eye test, it all goes together. It just creates a terror.”

Like Thanos, Jahkeem Stewart has been able to strike fear into the hearts of his opponents. Now, he'll have the chance to do so at the college level with the USC Trojans.

About the author

Ben Tredinnick is a journalist who covers college football and college basketball at Sportskeeda who is currently studying for a masters in Data Science. His degree in Psychology has helped him gain an in-depth understanding of the minds of coaches.

Ben has been involved in sports writing since 2022 and covered the NFL previously. His strengths include providing in-depth profiles of athletes and coaches, with a particular focus on development, and looking at which teams could be in the hunt for today's college stars.

Ben enjoys following college sports more than the NBA or NFL because there is more variation in terms of playstyles. The tournaments are often more competitive than the major leagues, and due to the constant turnover of players, there are rarely any "superteams" in college sports.

He prioritizes research, looks at multiple sources and publications to make sure he gets the full picture of the story before writing. He tries not to write from a one-sided perspective to allow the reader to be able to make their mind up on their own.

A Texas Longhorns fan, as well as a massive New York Giants fan, some of his favorite college players of all time are Arch Manning, Tim Tebow and Reggie Bush.

When he is not working, Ben enjoys watching films (especially Godzilla) and spending time with his cat.

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Edited by Alvin Amansec