The hype is real as Dylan Stewart sees his highest rank on preseason watch list yet

The South Carolina Gamecocks are coming off of a down 4-8 season in Columbia, which was head coach Shane Beamer‘s worst mark as South Carolina his head coach since he arrived prior to the 2021 season.

But thanks to an offensive staff overhaul, including hiring Kendal Briles from TCU as the new offensive coordinator as well as several returning veteran players, there are hopes that the Gamecocks can turn things around in 2026. 

Another reason the hopes are high is thanks to the return of star EDGE rusher Dylan Stewart. Stewart will be a junior this year, and over his last two seasons he had 56 total tackles and 11sacks. 

The rising junior has been featured recently in preseason lists of top defenders in college football. In CBS Sports' ranking of the best defensive players returning next season, Stewart saw his highest place on the lists yet. The Washington, D.C. native checked in at No. 2 overall. Stewart was just one spot behind Texas' Collin Simmons. 

"Ask coaches around the SEC which defender wrecks game plans before kickoff, and the Gamecocks' rising junior is going to land near the top of every list," CBS Sports' Brad Crawford writes of Stewart. "The former five-star plays with the kind of explosiveness that forces offenses to speed everything up, whether that's protection changes, quicker throws or extra attention from tight ends and backs given his ability off the snap.

Stewart's combination of length, power and closing speed makes him one of the toughest one-on-one assignments nationally this fall. He wins with pure athleticism off the edge, but what separates him from other elite pass rushers is how violent he is at the point of attack against the run. There's no finesse-only label attached to his game."

Crawford ends his description of Stewart's expectations in 2026 by adding that the one big question mark surrounding him this season is the back injury that limited last season. Although head coach Shane Beamer has said that Stewart is progressing well and should have no problems next season, it is a big concern if he is still limited in fall camp as he was during spring. 

If Stewart has the season Gamecock fans are expecting, he could cement himself as one of the higher NFL Draft picks in 2027, as well.

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