Shane Beamer’s latest injury check on two key South Carolina players had a familiar tone on Tuesday: progress, but no hard promises.
Speaking at SEC Media Days in Tampa, Fla., Beamer said edge rusher Dylan Stewart and offensive lineman Jacarrius Peak are both moving in the right direction after missing spring practice with injuries.
“Jacarrius Peak is actually running,” Beamer said. “Dylan will take another step in his journey next week and should crank it up. They’re on track and we’ll see where they are from a check-up standpoint here at the end of August, and hopefully they’ll be ready to rock and roll once we get into the season.”
Peak, the N.C. State transfer who was the centerpiece of South Carolina’s 2026 portal class, was expected to step in as the Gamecocks’ starting left tackle. That role still appears possible, but his timetable remains unclear after he injured his knee during a team-organized 3-on-3 basketball tournament in February and sat out the entire spring.
Stewart’s situation traces back to the end of the 2025 season, when a back injury lingered long enough to affect his availability. He played through it and still started against Ole Miss and Texas A&M, recording a sack in each game, then missed South Carolina’s penultimate contest against Coastal Carolina before returning for the first half against Clemson.
The Gamecocks open the season at home against Kent State, Towson and Mississippi State. Their first official preseason practices are expected during the first full week of August.
Whether Stewart and Peak are ready for those early games will come down to how they respond over the next few weeks and whether they’re cleared to play.
“Both of those guys are competitors,” Beamer said. “They both want to play, and they both want to play game one.”
After the season, Beamer made it clear just how serious Stewart’s issue had been, saying his star pass rusher was still lining up despite “basically (having) a broken back.” Beamer did not rule out surgery at the time, but said rest was the best path. That approach appears to have helped.
When healthy, Stewart remains one of the most dangerous pass rushers in the country and is widely projected as a top pick in the 2027 draft. In two seasons at South Carolina, the Washington, DC, native has 56 tackles, 22.5 TFLs, 11 sacks and 6 forced fumbles.
Beamer also offered a small update on Peak’s rehab, saying he saw the lineman complete 40 reps of “walk and press” in the weight room on Tuesday.
“If you ask any of our players, it’s god awful and horrible,” Beamer said of the walk-and-press routine.
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