South Carolina is still waiting on Dylan Stewart and Jacarrius Peak, but Shane Beamer made it clear Tuesday that the wait is nearing its end.
The Gamecocks coach said both players are moving in the right direction and remain ahead of schedule, even if a return for the opener against Kent State still looks unlikely. Stewart, who is dealing with a back issue, and Peak, who has been sidelined by a knee injury, have both missed spring practice and most of preseason camp.
“They’re ahead of progress,” Beamer said Tuesday in his weekly press conference. “They’re going to play very, very soon. They’re not there yet.”
Beamer had already told On3’s Chris Low on Aug. 19 that the two were still “continue to be on track,” and he expanded on that message again this week. South Carolina opens its 2026 season against Kent State, which finished 5-7 in the MAC last season, then faces FCS Towson before SEC play begins in Week 3 at home against Mississippi State.
That schedule gives the Gamecocks some breathing room, and Beamer didn’t hide the fact that the opener may come too soon for either player.
“It’s not ruled out that they’re not playing against Kent State,” Beamer said, “but it’s probably unrealistic at this point. But Towson - who knows?
Mississippi State? We’ll see.”
Even without Stewart and Peak, South Carolina should be in good shape through the first two weeks, with backups likely able to handle the load against opponents the Gamecocks should control. The bigger issue is getting both players back into full football rhythm after losing so much valuable time.
That matters especially for Peak, whose absence has kept him from building the kind of continuity an offensive lineman needs with the rest of the group. Stewart and Peak both still have hurdles to clear before they’re fully back, including contact work in practice and full participation.
“We’ll have them out there when they’re ready, and they’re getting closer and closer every single day to being cleared,” Beamer said. “They’re ahead of progress in regards to benchmarks they have to hit to be cleared.”
Beamer also said both players have taken on a larger role in practice over the past week, though he was careful not to suggest they’re already at full speed.
“They’ve been more involved at practice” over the last week, Beamer said. “Does that mean they’re going full speed? No.”
Still, the coach said he hasn’t seen any sign of a setback at any point this preseason. In his view, the process has stayed on track from start to finish, and the finish line is getting closer.
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