WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- South Carolina suspended Dylan Stewart indefinitely after his ejection from a 49-14 loss to Alabama.
- Stewart punched tight end Josh Ford’s helmet and later argued with coaches on the sideline.
- Shane Beamer said Stewart will not play against Kentucky and emphasized the program’s standards and accountability.
- Stewart recorded 6.5 sacks in 2024 and 4.5 sacks in 2025, earning second-team All-SEC recognition from coaches.
South Carolina Gamecocks edge rusher Dylan Stewart received an indefinite suspension Sunday following his ejection from the team’s 49-14 loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide. Head coach Shane Beamer announced the punishment during a press conference.
Stewart was ejected after punching Alabama tight end Josh Ford’s helmet. The defensive end then argued with South Carolina coaches on the sideline, adding to an incident that Beamer said extended beyond the punch itself.
The suspension removes Stewart from South Carolina’s coming game against Kentucky. Beamer said he would make a decision about Stewart’s future beyond that matchup after holding additional meetings and speaking with him.
“I’ll make the decision on what his future looks like beyond this week here in the next day or so. Still having some meetings and talking with him, but he won’t play this week versus Kentucky.”
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Beamer made clear that Stewart’s actions did not meet the standard established within the South Carolina program. His comments addressed both the punch that led to the ejection and Stewart’s other conduct surrounding the incident.
“There’s a standard of how we do things in our program and that was not it last night,” Beamer said, via 247 Sports. “It’s beyond the punch. The punch is unacceptable.”
Beamer acknowledged that punches have been thrown in football games before and will be thrown again. However, he pointed to additional behavior as the reason Stewart’s punishment went beyond the immediate consequences of the ejection.
“He’s not the first person to ever throw a punch in the football game and he won’t be the last. But it’s some of the other stuff. That isn’t how we do things in this program.”
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The coach also emphasized accountability as a core value for South Carolina. He said everyone associated with the program is accountable to its standard while leaving Stewart’s status beyond the Kentucky game unresolved.
“Accountability is a core value in this program and we are all accountable to the standard, so we’ll see what that looks like here going forward.”
The disciplinary action comes with Stewart widely projected as a leading prospect for the 2027 NFL Draft. Almost every 2027 NFL mock draft predicts that the South Carolina edge rusher will be at least a top-10 pick.
Stewart emerged during his freshman year with the Gamecocks. He recorded 6.5 sacks and 23 total tackles in 2024 before producing 4.5 sacks and 33 total tackles in 2025.
His 2025 performance brought recognition from coaches and a college football expert. Stewart was voted a second-team All-SEC selection by coaches, while Phil Steele named him an honorable mention All-American.
The suspension followed South Carolina’s 49-14 loss to Alabama, which dropped the Gamecocks to 2-2. South Carolina is set to play Kentucky this coming Saturday.
When Stewart might return remains unresolved. It is unclear when or if the defensive end will play again this season, with Beamer continuing to consider what Stewart’s future with the program will look like beyond the Kentucky matchup.
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