South Carolina football star sits atop class of 2024 re-rank
This week, On3’s Charles Power published a hypothetical “re-ranking” of the top players in the class of 2024. The national recruiting guru took last cycle’s recruits and ordered them based on what the now-freshmen have shown through the first couple of months of their college career. The top 13 are former 5-star prospects, but Power also included lower-ranked players. To the surprise of no one, South Carolina star Dylan Stewart sat atop Power’s re-ranking attempt.
Originally ranked No. 12 when the final rankings came out, there is no doubt Stewart was underrated coming out of high school. To On3’s credit, 12th was Stewart’s highest final ranking in the 2024 cycle.
While every major recruiting outlet viewed the Washington DC native as a 5-star prospect, none chose the Gamecock commitment as the top player at his position last year. Jordan Ross, Colin Simmons, and Marquise Lightfoot were ranked higher by multiple outlets, and LJ McCray was positioned higher in one. Those players have combined for just 4.5 sacks on the season (most by Simmons). By himself, Stewart has 5.5 sacks and a pair of Shaun Alexander National Freshman of the Week honors.
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Clearly, Dylan Stewart has outperformed even the loftiest of expectations for this South Carolina team.
According to Power, Stewart is the best true freshman EDGE player and NFL prospect college football has seen in years. Like many other analysts, Power believes Stewart is a future NFL Draft 1st-rounder. It is easy to see why he holds that opinion.
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He already has solid size (6’6″ and 248 pounds) and has shown elite traits as a freshman. The first-year Gamecock is a big-time athlete, and he has shown the ability to “bend” coming off the edge without slowing his rush. Stewart is strong enough to knock bigger offensive tackles backward, and he has advanced hand-fighting skills for a young player.
Stewart’s dominance opposite of fellow Gamecock pass rusher Kyle Kennard has provided South Carolina with a new element on defense. Last year, USC totaled just 7.5 sacks from the defensive end position. This year, Stewart and Kennard have combined for 14 as both players are on pace to beat last season’s positional total by themselves.
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Gamecock left tackle Josiah Thompson also cracked the top end of the list, slotting into Power’s No. 9 spot. Viewed by many as a developmental prospect who needed more seasoning, Thompson has started every game at left tackle. The young blocker has gotten better as the season has progressed, earning him the 2nd-highest offensive line spot in the re-rank. He was 16th in On3’s final 2024 player rankings.
Both Stewart and Thompson will have the chance to continue their strong freshman campaigns on Saturday. The Gamecocks travel to Nashville for a date with the 24th-ranked Vanderbilt Commodores. SEC Network (and also the ESPN app) will air the game at 4:15 p.m.
