South Carolina’s injury list is starting to pile up in a hurry, and two of the biggest names on the roster now appear headed for extended absences.
According to On3’s Chris Low, star pass rusher Dylan Stewart and starting offensive tackle Jacarrius Peak are not expected to be ready for the 2026 season as they continue recovering from injuries.
That update lands only days after South Carolina announced that wide receivers Jayden Gibson and Jayden Sellers will miss the entire upcoming campaign because of injury.
Stewart has been one of the Gamecocks’ most disruptive defenders since arriving on campus. Through his first two seasons, he has put up 22.5 tackles for loss, 11 sacks and 6 forced fumbles, production that has made him arguably the nation’s best edge rusher when healthy. The reported issue here is a back injury that has lingered since the 2025 regular season.
Peak was another major addition for South Carolina this offseason, one of the more important transfer portal pickups in the SEC. He arrived after three standout seasons at NC State and was expected to step in as the Gamecocks’ starting offensive tackle in 2026.
His setback began with a knee injury in February, which kept him out of spring practice. Even so, South Carolina still hopes to get him back on the field at some point this fall.
There is at least a little room for the Gamecocks to breathe at the start of the year. South Carolina opens the 2026 season against Kent State and Towson before welcoming Mississippi State in its SEC opener.
In Other News...
LaNorris Sellers Gives Gamecocks Fans Another Reason To Believe
Several South Carolina football players are finding ways to keep moving academically even as the grind of the season ramps up, and LaNorris Sellers is right in the middle of that mix. The starting quarterback is majoring in sport and entertainment management while also completing an internship at The Par Tee Golf Center, giving Gamecocks fans another look at the kind of off-field discipline that often matters just as much as what happens on Saturdays.
Sellers is not the only one balancing more than football, either. Cutter Woods, David Bucey and Gerald Kilgore are also working through academic programs and internships tied to their areas of study, a reminder that the program has players juggling real-world preparation alongside their on-field responsibilities. For a fan base looking for reasons to feel good about where things are headed, that broader snapshot says plenty about the culture around the team. [Read more 🡒]
South Carolina Suddenly Has Two Huge Opener Questions To Answer
South Carolinas preparation for the Sept. 5 opener has taken on a different tone as Shane Beamer works through two key injury situations on opposite sides of the ball. Edge rusher Dylan Stewart and left tackle Jacarrius Peak are both in recovery mode, and Beamer said each is progressing well even as the Gamecocks start to measure what their first game could look like without them.
Stewart is coming back from a back injury, while Peak is rehabbing a knee issue he suffered in February, leaving South Carolina with some early uncertainty at two premium spots. The good news for the Gamecocks is that both players are moving in the right direction, but Beamer stopped short of offering a firm timetable, which keeps the opener picture a little murkier than the staff would prefer. [Read more 🡒]