The South Carolina Gamecocks will open their 2026 season against Kent State without two of their biggest stars in offensive tackle Jacarrius Peak and EDGE rusher Dylan Stewart. The news of both guys, who are rehabbing back from their respective injuries, being out for Week 1 vs. the Golden Flashes was previously reported.
But in terms of when they would be ready to be back, there's a chance that both could return sooner than fans are expecting. In the best case scenario, the hope is that both would be ready to go by Week 3, when the Gamecocks open SEC play against Mississippi State at home on Sept. 19.
However, per South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer, the two Gamecock stars could be ready to play before we know it.
"They're going to play and they're going to play very, very soon," Beamer said on Tuesday via Gamecock 247. "They're ahead of progress of benchmarks. … They're ahead of progress. They're going to play very, very soon. They're not there yet. It's not ruled out."
As for which game South Carolina sixth-year head Coach Beamer thinks they could be cleared for, he declined to make a definitive statement.
"Towson, who knows?" Beamer added. "Mississippi State, we'll see."
After opening the season against Kent State, the Gamecocks play FCS Towson in Week 2 on Sept. 12. That's great news for Gamecock fans, who have been eagerly awaiting the return of the two most important players on both sides of the ball. Peak suffered a knee injury in February which has kept him out since spring practices. Stewart suffered and played through a back injury for most of the year last year.
Peak was South Carolina's highest-rated player from the transfer portal, coming over after three seasons at NC State. He was an Honorable Mention All-ACC offensive tackle last season, as he gave up just seven sacks across over 2,000 snaps across three years.
Having him at offensive tackle is also key if quarterback LaNorris Sellers wants to have a bounceback season. Following a 2025 regression, the signal-caller hopes to massively improve in new offensive coordinator Kendal Briles' scheme.
Stewart accounted for 11 sacks across his last two seasons with 56 total tackles and three forced fumbles.
While getting both guys cleared to participate fully in practice would be ideal, hearing Coach Beamer indicate that both guys are quite close is encouraging as the 2026 season looms.
ALSO READ: Scouting South Carolina's 3 opposing first-year QBs Gamecocks will face
Add us as a preferred source on Google