Shane Beamer is the one who will determine what comes next for Dylan Stewart at South Carolina.
The Gamecocks suspended Stewart in a joint statement with the SEC, but Beamer made it plain on Tuesday that the linebacker’s status is now in his hands alone. Whether Stewart plays again for South Carolina or even remains with the program will be Beamer’s call.
“No, [Stewart is] not with the team right now,” Beamer said in his weekly news conference (h/t On3). “And to answer your question and [a prior] question, his role or involvement on this team will be decided, you know, going forward, by me. But right now, he’s not with the football team this week.”
South Carolina would obviously like to have Stewart back if that becomes possible. From a football standpoint, he’s the kind of pass-rusher who can change a game, and his production across 2024 and 2025 shows why: 56 tackles and 11 sacks.
This season, though, has gone sideways for him. Stewart missed two games while recovering from an injury, then returned against Mississippi State and finished with just one tackle.
The real trouble came in Week 4 during South Carolina’s 49-18 loss to Alabama. Stewart would not leave the field when an assistant coach tried to get a substitute in for him, sparking a sideline argument. He also got into it with Beamer on the sideline.
Then came the moment that pushed things over the edge. In the fourth quarter, Stewart threw a punch at the helmet of Alabama tight end Josh Ford. Officials did not catch it live, but the SEC later ruled that Stewart had made “egregious contact” with the Alabama tight end.
Beamer said the issue is bigger than one punch. He stressed that Stewart is a player he loves and someone who is well-liked in the locker room, but his behavior has not matched the program’s “standard.”
“There’s a standard of how we do things on and off the field in this program, and there is an accountability level that is demanded, regardless of who you are and how good a player you are,” Beamer said. “The accountability can’t be a pick and choose, and the standard of how we do things - it can’t be a pick and choose. And that’s what I’ve just conveyed to the team, and that’s what I convey to Dylan, and the players have been awesome.”
In Other News...
Dylan Stewart Now Faces A Bigger South Carolina Question
Dylan Stewarts status has quickly become one of the bigger talking points around South Carolina after Shane Beamer confirmed the edge rusher is suspended and away from the team for now. The situation stems from an in-game incident in which Stewart threw a punch, a play the SEC later classified as egregious contact, and it has put the focus on how the Gamecocks handle discipline as much as on what Stewart means on the field.
Beamer said the decision about Stewarts return will be his, tied to whether the sophomore meets the programs standards and shows the accountability the staff expects. For South Carolina, the issue is bigger than one missed game or one roster spot, because it now asks how the program balances talent, trust and the message it wants to send moving forward. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Has A Growing QB Concern At The Worst Time
As Florida State keeps sorting through a quarterback situation that has started to feel more pressing by the week, the broader conversation around the position has only grown louder across college football. A few of the names under the microscope include South Carolina's LaNorris Sellers, Jayden Maiava, Marcel Reed and Ashton Daniels, each of whom has been asked to carry a heavy load as their teams try to steady themselves and build momentum in conference play.
Sellers, in particular, remains part of that wider evaluation because his play sits at the center of what South Carolina wants to be offensively. The Gamecocks are still looking for cleaner execution and more consistent production from the position, and with important games ahead, the next stretch figures to say plenty about how quickly these quarterbacks can answer the questions around them. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Faces An Early SEC Test That Could Reshape Its Ranking Push
South Carolina is already in a spot where every SEC game feels weighted a little heavier, and the next one comes with extra urgency. The Gamecocks have dropped their first two conference matchups, and now they get No. 24 Kentucky at home in a game that could say plenty about how realistic their College Football Playoff push remains. LaNorris Sellers has had a rough time finding his footing in league play, which only adds to the pressure on a team that needs to turn the page quickly.
Kentucky brings a defense that has earned national respect, even if the Wildcats offense has left plenty to be desired. Oddsmakers have still installed South Carolina as a 2.5-point favorite, a sign that home field and talent keep the Gamecocks in the conversation. The question is whether they can answer it on the field before the SEC schedule starts to close off the margin for error. [Read more 🡒]