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Why Dylan Stewart expected on-field success: 'I knew what I was going to do'

imageby:Jack Veltri•about 21 hours•

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Dylan Stewart (Katie Dugan/GamecockCentral)

It didn’t take long for the world to see just how good Dylan Stewart was going to be. By the end of his first college game, it was clear he was going to be special.

The freshman EDGE had already racked up his first career sack after blowing by an offensive lineman and getting into the Old Dominion backfield in a split second. Then in the fourth quarter of that game, with South Carolina down by three, Stewart broke off a block and knocked the ball out of the quarterback’s hands for a fumble recovery to put the Gamecocks inside the red zone.

From that point on, Stewart knew he was made for this.

“After my first game, knowing what I got to do in my first game I played, I was just playing out there,” he said.

In his first game, he finished with four tackles and 1.5 sacks as well as two forced fumbles. Those numbers alone were jaw-dropping, let alone for a freshman playing his first career snaps. But this was to be expected, at least in Stewart’s opinion.

“That does a lot,” Stewart said about what his first game did for his confidence. “Going into fall camp, I was already making plays from fall camp, spring leading up into the games. Then I got in the game, I knew what I was going to do.”

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It’s turned out to be a remarkable year for Stewart as he approaches the end of his first season at South Carolina. Going into the team’s final game, he’s up to 20 tackles, 6.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. It’s been as good as it gets.

“I’m very happy,” he said. “I’m very happy with my progress.”

With the Citrus Bowl on deck, Stewart is ready to finish this season out on a high note. But he knows this one will be a little different without his running mate on the other side of the defensive line. Kyle Kennard recently declared for the NFL Draft and will not play against Illinois next Tuesday.

Seeing as Kennard, who had 11.5 sacks in 2024, won’t be out there, there’s a good chance Illinois will focus more on Stewart to try and slow him down. But that’s what he expects to happen. It’s kind of been that way all year.

“I get that every week, so not really too worried about it,” Stewart said.

As for how the Fighting Illini’s offensive line might come at him, Stewart said they could run “a lot” of RPO or just choose not to switch up from what they’ve been doing all season.

“They might be a little cocky, you know, it’s a bowl game,” he said. “So, they might not switch it up.”

Even with Stewart now being the main threat off the edge for South Carolina, he believes the others in that room will be able to fill the void left by Kennard in this game.

“There’s not going to be no drop-off. No drop-off,” Stewart said.

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