Dylan Stewart’s future has been hanging by a thread ever since his on-field heated incident against Alabama. He was given a one-game suspension by the SEC, followed by an action from South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer. The edge rusher completed that suspension by sitting out against Kentucky. However, according to Beamer, there is still no clarity on his return to the field.
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“No update. ‘I’ve met with Dylan pretty much every day last week,’ Beamer said on October 4 during his Sunday teleconference. “Visited with Dylan today. We’ll keep those conversations between us, but no update.”
The Gamecocks have to travel to Gainesville to take on Florida after their heartbreaking loss to Kentucky in Week 5. In a game that led 17-0 at the start, South Carolina led the Wildcats to have a second-half comeback and secure the win in overtime.
It’s not guaranteed that Stewart’s presence could have won South Carolina the game. The Gamecocks sacked Kentucky QB three times despite playing without their star edge rusher. However, Minchey still managed to throw for 272 yards and three touchdowns.
Even Beamer knew they needed their edge rusher, but the incidents that followed during the Alabama game were enough to put his foot down.
“His absence against Kentucky certainly doesn’t help us. He’s a first-round draft pick. But at the same time, our players know there’s a standard, and we are holding one of our most talented players accountable,” Beamer said. “That’s a strong statement from our team that accountability is real in this program.”
The SEC suspension was related to an incident against the Tide when Stewart lost his cool and punched tight end Josh Ford in the helmet. At the time, Alabama was leading 49-18, and the edge rusher let the frustration get the better of him. The officials did not eject him from the game.
However, that wasn’t the only incident that sparked Beamer’s anger. At one point, the South Carolina head coach was seen shouting at Stewart on the sidelines, while the latter ignored him and walked away. In another instance, he refused to come off the field when his teammate Julian Walker ran onto the field to replace him. He even physically waved Walker off and pushed him away to stay in the game.
These incidents might have hampered his standing in the NFL draft, as he was handed a suspension until further notice for unsportsmanlike conduct and insubordination. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey officially cited these incidents as “egregious contact against an opposing player” for ruling a one-game suspension by the SEC. While they announced the suspension on September 28, Beamer had already announced a separate, indefinite team suspension a day earlier.
After things calmed down a bit, Stewart took accountability for his actions and apologized to his head coach and the rest of the team. However, it would take a lot more to finally earn his spot back on the team.
“He has to embody the standard of how we do things,” Shane Beamer said. “If I believe he has learned and will be better for it, then I’m willing to have a conversation and talk about him potentially returning.”
Dylan Stewart’s NFL future under scrutiny
This incident just adds to the long list of on-field issues Stewart has had since coming to South Carolina. He was predicted to be a top 10 NFL draft pick, but now analysts worry that might not be the case.
“If Dylan Stewart entered Saturday’s game with the goal of completely tanking his draft stock, I don’t know that he would’ve done anything different than what I watched. One of the most self-destructive nights I can remember seeing an elite talent have a –cancerous attitude,” Josh Pate said on X on September 27.
NFL teams certainly do not tolerate a player punching an opponent, especially given Stewart’s history during the 2025 Vanderbilt ejection after he shoved Bryce Henderson. Even if the punch is overlooked, the main thorn would be his insubordination with his coaches for the NFL front office. Screaming back at a head coach and physically pushing away a teammate to defy a substitution order does cross a line.
“That level of insubordination mid-game was a new one for me,” said an NFC scout to the Athletic. “(It) feels like it was brewing for a while and exploded with everyone watching.”
But there is still some time left in the 2026 campaign. Stewart can get back on the field and show that he has learned from his mistakes. It remains to be seen when Beamer allows that. His own position is under threat after another disappointing start.