If anyone has something to remember about 2024, it’s Dylan Stewart. At 6’5, 250-pounds, the South Carolina phenom was a 5-star Plus+ hype who got Freshman All-American stripes in his first year under Shane Beamer. But for all the edge-rushing dominance he put on tape last year, it wasn’t just his stats that went viral. In fact, it took one explosive sack and one very controversial celebration to push his name beyond the SEC into every college football talk across the nation.

Let’s rewind to October 6, 2024. South Carolina was getting throttled by Ole Miss, down 24-3 late in the game. Dylan Stewart hadn’t had much to smile about until he sacked QB Jaxson Dart and brought him to the turf on third down. And then he did that controversial celebration, emulating firing a machine gun at the Rebels QB who was down. And you can guess what happened after that. Williams-Brice Stadium gasped and social media exploded. 

Maybe Dylan Stewart thought it was just a game. In an interview with On3 Pete Nakos on June 18, he made a raw confession. “I always had the confidence going into the season, going through spring ball and the fall camp, so I knew what I was going to do,” he said. “But like, the off-the-field stuff, I didn’t expect all that. My name’s blowing up. It’s pretty crazy realizing what I could do, to see how much influence I have.” Then he broke the silence on what he was feeling during that viral moment, saying, “I was just mad, they were holding. It was blown out of proportion.” It undoubtedly looked bad but then, it also reflects a freshman’s mistake under frustration.

The flag was raised immediately. Dylan Stewart received a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. And that gave Ole Miss an extended drive that propelled them to a field goal, ultimately ending the game 23-7 as victors. Shane Beamer didn’t hold back either, calling the gesture “unacceptable.” He also added, “Dylan Stewart feels awful about that play, Dylan Stewart is a really good kid, his mom feels awful about that play. She was very emotional after the game.” As the HC said, his star player received punishment for his act. 

Still, it was Jaxson Dart who also went viral with his response to the incident. He quote-tweeted the clip with a shot of his own writing, “How the f— do you miss a whole 100 shots,” borrowing a savage bar from Young Dolph’s diss track ‘100 Shots’. Even with the penalty and postgame noise, Dylan Stewart still left that night with four tackles, three for loss, and a sack. The celebration didn’t change the fact that he was South Carolina’s defensive alpha. And now, as a wiser and bigger sophomore, QBs might dread meeting this formidable play-stopper. 

Dylan Stewart raises a warning for the quarterbacks

Fast forward to now, Dylan Stewart isn’t dwelling on the viral moment. He’s doubling down on why he came to Columbia in the first place, which is development and dominance. He’s grown up to 256 pounds, benched 225 for 20 reps this offseason, and looks like a straight-up problem off the edge. With 6.5 sacks as a freshman, his trajectory is steep and scary for opposing quarterbacks.

Dylan Stewart is not hiding from the spotlight. And every QB should be wary because when asked which QB he wants to sack most in 2025, he said, “Everybody.” “I like to play football. I like to hit people,” he added. “I’m trying to make a play every day. I’m not in any mode, I’m just having fun when I’m playing football. Just get to move somebody out of the way.” 

With Dylan Stewart and QB LaNorris Sellers returning, South Carolina’s got the backbone of a squad that ended 2024 in College Football Playoff contention.