Dylan Stewart suspension: South Carolina’s Shane Beamer announces decision after punch
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South Carolina star edge rusher Dylan Stewart’s future with the Gamecocks is now uncertain after head coach Shane Beamer suspended him indefinitely following a punch and multiple penalties in Saturday’s 49-18 loss at No. 8 Alabama.
Beamer announced the suspension to reporters Sunday, per On3’s Jack Veltri. He said Stewart won’t play when No. 24 Kentucky visits Williams-Brice Stadium on Oct. 3, and he plans to decide on the pass rusher’s future with the program within the next day or two.
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What happened with Dylan Stewart?
Stewart’s trouble in Tuscaloosa started in the first half. His late hit on Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell extended a Crimson Tide drive, and Beamer confronted the pass rusher on the sideline as he came off the field.
In the fourth quarter, Daniel Hill’s 1-yard touchdown run pushed Alabama’s lead to 42-18. Right after that score, Stewart punched Crimson Tide tight end Josh Ford after the whistle. Officials flagged him for unsportsmanlike conduct but didn’t eject him.
Stewart later refused to come off the field, so the coaching staff forced him out and sent in Julian Walker.
“I saw the play that he got the penalty on. I didn’t see it until just now, and that’s unacceptable,” Beamer said after the game. “That’s not how we do things around here, and I’m embarrassed to see that because that’s not what we’re about.”
Ford brushed off the hit. “I think he punched me three times, but it was awesome,” Ford said.
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Dylan Stewart’s injury and past ejection
Stewart arrived in Columbia as a five-star recruit from Washington, D.C., and posted 23 tackles, 6.5 sacks and three forced fumbles as a true freshman in 2024. He and quarterback LaNorris Sellers both announced in December 2025 that they would stay at South Carolina after other programs pursued them.
The 6-foot-5, 250-pound edge rusher is considered one of the top two edge prospects for the 2027 NFL Draft, along with Texas standout Colin Simmons.
A back injury kept the D.C. native out of the offseason and fall camp. He made his season debut Sept. 19 against Mississippi State and came off the bench in both games he played, and the staff used him only in certain situations at Alabama.
Stewart was also ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct in a 2025 loss to Vanderbilt after shoving Commodores right tackle Bryce Henderson. The SEC still cleared him to play the full game at Missouri the next week.
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What’s next for South Carolina football?
The Gamecocks are 2-2 overall and 0-2 in the SEC. South Carolina has lost seven straight conference games dating back to last season, and fans chanted “Fire Beamer” at Williams-Brice Stadium after the 41-34 home loss to Mississippi State. Beamer has also been a recurring name in hot-seat conversations in recent weeks due to the Gamecocks’ uneven start to the season.
No. 24 Kentucky visits Columbia on Oct. 3 for a 4:15 p.m. ET kickoff on SEC Network. South Carolina then travels to Florida on Oct. 10.
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