South Carolina Football: Gamecocks sign 5-star pass rusher

The Early Signing Period for college football began on Wednesday, and National Letters of Intent have been flying in from all over the country. While most of those NLIs are not sent in via fax machine anymore, commitments are not official until paperwork is completed. The South Carolina football program is hoping to have most of their class secured by the end of the Early Signing Period.

One of the players in the class that made things official is EDGE rusher Dylan Stewart.

Position: DE/OLB
Recruiting Ranking: 5 stars (consensus)
Measurables: 6'5"; 250 pounds; 33.5" arms; 6'9" wingspan; 4.6-second 40-yard dash
Former Player Comp: JJ (Kingsley) Enagbare

Dylan Stewart is a special player. Considered a 5-star prospect by all four major recruiting services, Stewart is one of the most gifted athletes in the country. His physical profile and high school production have South Carolina football fans drooling over what he can become in garnet and black.

Another DMV product (DC, Maryland, northeast Virginia), Stewart chose the Gamecocks over Ohio State and will step on campus with a great chance to have a big impact as a freshman.

When watching his film, the first thing that sticks out about Stewart is his burst. He is quick off the line, and he is a blur coming off the edge as a pass rusher. When he is engaged with a blocker, Stewart has long arms and some sneaky explosive strength that allows him to chuck offensive linemen out of his way as he attacks the quarterback. His pursuit speed and instincts could see him take some linebacker snaps, as well, especially in the 3-3-5.

Stewart's versatility allows him to play across the front-7 at the high school level, usually at defensive end or outside linebacker (rushing the passer mostly when at OLB). However, his A-gap blitz ability is better than one might expect for a young player, and the Gamecocks like to bring pressure up the middle.

Stewart profiles like a higher-upside version of former Gamecock Kingsley "JJ" Enagbare. Enagbare was versatile like Stewart, but for some reason, the Will Muschamp-led coaching staff moved him to defensive tackle before wising up and keeping him at EDGE. Stewart won't be moving inside, but his ability to play with his hand in the dirt, out wide as a stand-up rusher, and even blitz in the A-gap are very similar to Enagbare.

Once ranked as the top player in the 2024 recruiting class, Stewart could be a good contributor as a freshman, but he is not a complete package yet. He has some room to add a little muscle, and if he can grow into a player that can hold up against the run, Stewart could be a 1st-round talent.

You can watch some of his film here.