The South Carolina Gamecocks will have to go on the road and face the No. 8 Alabama Crimson Tide without one of its leaders on defense.
On Thursday evening, two days before the Gamecocks were set to kickoff against the Tide, head coach Shane Beamer confirmed that defensive tackle Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy will not suit up. Brownlow-Dindy left last week's game against Mississippi State in the first half, and did not return.
Shane Beamer gives an injury update.
— Jordan Kaye (@jordankaye_23) September 24, 2026
— DT Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy (Upper body) won't play against Alabama.
— "Everybody else is good," Beamer said.
The Gamecocks defense gave up 41 points to the Bulldogs at home, the most for South Carolina so far this season. South Carolina did not release the nature of his injury, only describing it as an upper body issue. He was listed as questionable on the Gamecocks' initial injury report released on Wednesday evening. So far this season has he registered one tackle against Kent State.
Elsewhere on defense, star EDGE rusher Dylan Stewart will be good to go against the Tide. That will be huge for South Carolina, which will look to contain star Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell on Saturday. Stewart made his first return back to the field last week after a long rehab stemming from a back injury he played through most of this season.
He finished the game with one solo stop, which was a tackle for loss, but was noticeably absent from the game in the fourth quarter. Coach Beamer said earlier this week that Stewart's back was sore at the end of the game.
"Nobody can question his want to last night because he was throwing his body around," Beamer said via Gamecock247 of why he wasn't playing late in the game. "That back wasn't feeling great in the fourth quarter. We got a lot of football left, and we had gotten out of him what we wanted to get out of him, particularly early in the game."
Beamer has indicated this week that Stewart is not expected to start on Saturday, but he will play. Given that his back was feeling it late in the game against Mississippi State, it's unclear just how many snaps he will get. Last year against the Tide, Stewart finished the game with one registered tackle.
Alabama is tied for seventh nationally in scoring offense, averaging 47.7 points per game. The Gamecocks allowed just nine total points in their first two games against Kent State and Towson, but MSU clearly exposed some vulnerabilities there.
South Carolina is listed as 12.5-point underdog at Tuscaloosa. Coach Beamer is 0-2 in his only two contests against Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer.
Saturday's game will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET, and air live on SEC Network.
ALSO READ: South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers can upset Alabama by taking care of football
Add us as a preferred source on Google