Will Dylan Stewart play in South Carolina football opener? What we're hearing 5%
By Lulu Kesin0%
7/30/2026, 11:09:24 AM
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COLUMBIA — South Carolina football's 2026 season opener is a month away and one of the biggest storylines this offseason has been the health of star edge rusher Dylan Stewart.
According to coach Shane Beamer, sometime toward the middle of his sophomore season in 2025 Stewart began dealing with a back injury.
Though he finished the season, he sat out spring practices.
Rest was the main treatment plan.
The Gamecocks will begin preseason practice Aug.
7.
Beamer addressed the status of Stewart and offensive lineman Jacarrius Peak, an NC State transfer who injured his knee playing basketball during a team bonding event and also missed spring practice.
"They're progressing nicely, they had doctor's appointments this week and everything is positive coming out of those reports " Beamer said July 30.
"They're trending in the right direction and eager to get back on the field and know they will be here really, really soon."
Beamer added that Stewart is in a great "frame of mind" and has been in the weight room getting a head start each morning.
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What Shane Beamer said at SEC Media Days
The Gamecocks open 2026 with home games vs Kent State on Sept. 5 and Towson on Sept.
12.
Would South Carolina hold both out until the SEC opener vs Mississippi State on Sept.
19?
"We treat all opponents the same," Beamer said at SEC Media Days July 21.
"Every Saturday is a battle.
But for us and for me, it will be just communication with our doctors like it's always been.
Good news is, both those two guys are both competitors.
They both want to play Game 1 ... it'll be communication with our medical team, the outside doctors.
When they say they're ready to go, then they'll be ready to go and we will put them out there regardless of when and who."
Having his star defensive force on the field is ideal for Beamer, but he said it's important Stewart knows they won't make him do anything until he's ready.
He's undoubtedly a critical piece to the defense but even if he's healthy, he needs someone to play beside him.
What does South Carolina edge rusher competition look like?
Though Stewart earned a starting role as a freshman with 6.5 sacks, he had Kyle Kennard, who had an SEC-high 11.5 sacks (8th in the nation) and won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy in 2024.
After Kennard left for the NFL, Bryan Thomas Jr helped the injured Stewart last year, logging a team-high seven sacks to Stewart's 4.5.
But once again, Stewart lost his edge rushing sidekick to the NFL.
"We knew that was a big thing for us when we went into the offseason or came into January talking about high school recruiting, portal," Beamer said.
"We needed to be better there.
We were losing Bryan Thomas.
We know what Kyle Kennard did a couple years ago opposite Dylan.
"We know that Dylan's going to automatically, when teams start game-planning against our defense, they're going to sit there and talk about from a protection standpoint how we block (Stewart) ...
In order to combat that, we got to have guys on the other side that can certainly stop the run, disrupt the passer, and just play good winning football."
Beamer has upperclassmen in George Wilson Jr and Caleb Herring (transfer from Tennessee) with five others who are a redshirt sophomore or younger.
In the mix is freshman Julian Walker, who like Stewart is 6-foot-6.
He was a four-star recruit that Beamer flipped from Michigan on early signing day.
Walker could replace Thomas as a true freshman, but Herring is a contender given his SEC experience.
Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network.
Email her at lkesin@usatodayco.com.
Follow her on X @Lulukesin and Bluesky @bylulukesin.bsky.social
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