South Carolina Gamecocks edge rusher Dylan Stewart has been sidelined after on-field and sideline outbursts during a blowout loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday. The highly touted defender was caught throwing punches at an Alabama player, sparking immediate disciplinary action from both his coaching staff and the Southeastern Conference.
The immediate fallout saw South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer announce that Stewart was suspended indefinitely. Shortly after, the SEC and the University of South Carolina jointly announced a one-game suspension for “egregious contact,” officially ruling Stewart out for the Gamecocks’ upcoming matchup against Kentucky. Alabama tight end Josh Ford told reporters following the game that he believed Stewart punched him up to three times during the contest.
However, South Carolina’s handling of Stewart’s suspension extended beyond just the physical altercation with the opponent. Throughout the game against Alabama, Stewart clashed with the Gamecocks’ staff. At one point, Beamer was seen shouting at the edge rusher for loafing to the sideline after committing a penalty. In another tense moment, Stewart reportedly argued with coaches and waved off his replacement when the staff attempted to sub him out of the game.
“There’s a standard of how we do things in this program, and that was not it last night,” Beamer stated while addressing the suspension. “It’s beyond the punch. The punch is unacceptable… But it’s some of the other stuff that isn’t how we do things in this program. Accountability is a core value of this program, and we are all accountable to the standard.”
Dylan Stewart is a Former All-Met Star from Washington, DC
Before finding himself at the center of controversy in Columbia, Stewart built a massive reputation in his hometown of Washington, D.C. Operating out of Friendship Collegiate Academy, the imposing 6-foot-5 defender developed into a consensus five-star recruit and the nation’s top-ranked edge prospect in the 2024 class. He was named The Washington Post’s All-Metro Football Player of the Year, helped Friendship Collegiate win a DCSAA Class AA state title, and was selected to the Under Armour All-America Game before bringing his talents to the SEC.
Stewart is widely projected to be a top-10 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. The Gamecocks will now be forced to navigate their critical conference clash against Kentucky without their premier defensive weapon, as Beamer looks to enforce program standards during a tumultuous stretch.
