Dylan Stewart acclimating well to South Carolina, college football
Hype surrounded Dylan Stewart well before he decided to commit to South Carolina in August of last year. More often than not, that hype comes with an expectation to perform as soon as possible.
Heading into this season, Stewart was one of the most sought-after incoming freshmen in the country. He was listed as the No. 17 prospect in last year’s On3 Industry Rankings, which compiles ratings from all four major recruiting websites.
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All four of those recruiting websites – On3, Yahoo, Rivals and ESPN – also gave him a five-star rating, making him the first Gamecock recruit since Jordan Burch in 2020 to earn such a distinction.
Shane Beamer said Stewart has lived up to that billing throughout his first few months with South Carolina. He added that during that timeframe, Stewart has shown a trait shared by other top recruits — adaptability.
“I think Luke Day, a couple weeks ago, made the comment to me. He’s like, ‘You know those players that are highly, highly, highly recruited? They’re highly, highly recruited for a reason — because they can adjust to college football really quickly,’” Beamer said. “And I would put Dylan Stewart in that group.”
For many players, the transition from high school football to college football is not an easy one. Juggling a new workout schedule and playbook on top of classes is a lot easier said than done.
Beamer said Stewart experienced some growing pains at the beginning of spring practice. But Stewart has since showcased the talent that made him a five-star recruit on the practice field, Beamer said.
“Practice, whatever it might be, certainly was an adjustment in January when he comes here and he starts classes and he’s in the weight room weight program and all that,” Beamer said. “But as far as being out on the field, that’s when he’s at his best. He’s a really good player, he’s a great young man. He’s doing really well in school, and he’s been like that all spring.”
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That talent showed in South Carolina’s spring game on Saturday, where Stewart consistently put pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Over the course of the night, he registered one sack and three tackles. All three of those tackles forced the Garnet team to lose yardage.
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Beamer said Stewart was “the most impressive guy” on the defensive line during a closed scrimmage two weeks ago. For Stewart, playing in the spring game was very similar.
“It wasn’t too much different,” Stewart said. “The fans just made it more intense.”
He added that enrolling a semester early was beneficial from an on-field standpoint.
“It just got me prepared. Workouts, waking up early, being more accountable, being more disciplined,” Stewart said. “Just getting everything I needed to be successful in the fall.”
South Carolina’s talented corps of freshman will be represented by more than, though. Beamer listed Josiah Thompson and Mazeo Bennett as newcomers who have also adjusted quickly to the college game.
But he said Stewart has already shown he is ready for whatever comes his way.
“I would put Josiah Thompson in that group. Two guys, highly recruited, could have gone anywhere in the country, and they chose to come here. (There’s) Mazeo Bennett (and) a lot of our guys in that freshman class,” Beamer said. “But Dylan’s been a guy that’s, really just, it’s never been too big for him, the moment.
