Dylan Stewart’s Future with South Carolina Remains Uncertain After Suspension

Dylan Stewart, a prominent edge rusher for the South Carolina Gamecocks, has been consistently projected as a potential top-10 pick in the 2027 NFL mock drafts. However, recent events have cast doubt on his immediate future with the team.

During South Carolina’s match against the Alabama Crimson Tide, Stewart faced ejection. He punched opponent Josh Ford’s helmet, leading to a sideline argument with his coaches. Consequently, Stewart received an indefinite suspension from the team.

South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer announced the suspension in a press conference. “I’ll make the decision on what his future looks like beyond this week here in the next day or so. Still having some meetings and talking with him, but he won’t play this week versus Kentucky. There’s a standard of how we do things in our program and that was not it last night,” Beamer stated.

Beamer emphasized that the punch alone was not the sole issue. “He’s not the first person to ever throw a punch in a football game, and he won’t be the last. But it’s some of the other stuff. That isn’t how we do things in this program. Accountability is a core value in this program and we are all accountable to the standard, so we’ll see what that looks like here going forward,” Beamer added.

Stewart’s performance on the field has been impressive since his freshman year. In 2024, he recorded 6.5 sacks and 23 tackles, followed by 4.5 sacks and 33 tackles in 2025. He earned recognition as a second-team All-SEC player and was named an honorable mention All-American by college football expert Phil Steele.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding Stewart’s suspension, his return to the field remains in question. The South Carolina Gamecocks, currently standing at 2-2 after the loss to Alabama, prepare to face Kentucky this coming Saturday.