LSU Football Transfer Portal Wishlist: Get to know Dylan Stewart
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As CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz reported Friday afternoon, LSU football is expected to add South Carolina’s Sterling Lucas to its defensive staff. Lucas serves as the Gamecocks’ defensive run game coordinator, defensive ends coach, and outside linebackers coach, and has done an excellent job recruiting and developing Gamecocks' edge defenders throughout his tenure. If LSU can get a deal done, it would be a massive get for Lane Kiffin’s defensive staff.
Another reason it’s a big hire, however, is who he might bring with him. South Carolina currently rosters edge rusher Dylan Stewart, who earned numerous honors for his exceptional performance in 2024, his freshman season. Those awards include 2024 FWAA Freshman All-American honors, First-Team All-SEC honors, and a finalist nod for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award.
Lucas will coach LSU’s interior defensive line, but he recruited Stewart, opening the door for the possibility that the sophomore may consider following Lucas to Baton Rouge.
Stewart would be an incredible addition to defensive coordinator Blake Baker’s defense, which was an excellent unit this year, despite missing an ace pass rusher. If Stewart ended up a Tiger, it could give the team that critical piece.
Stewart had a down year in 2024, largely due to what South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer described as “basically a broken back.” Despite his injury, Stewart still tied for seventh among SEC edge rushers in pressures (37), tied for sixth in sacks (five), and tied for 10th in run stops (12), per PFF.
His elite mixture of quickness, power, tenacity and physicality still flashed despite his down year. Here’s one highlight from his performance against Texas A&M that showcased all three:
Oh my goodness. Look at that quickness by Dylan Stewart to blow up the mesh point and force a fumble 6 return. Gamecocks rollin pic.twitter.com/a2WeWnwf8b
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) November 15, 2025
Either way, if 37 pressures and five sacks constitute a down year, it means Stewart’s ceiling is sky-high. As a true freshman, he posted a PFF pass-rush grade of 91.4, the sixth-best in the nation, and recorded 51 pressures, ranking 10th.
So far, there’s no real buzz about whether Stewart might actually make his way to Baton Rouge. Still, if Lucas can lure him over, it would be a potentially season-altering move for the Tigers’ 2026 defense.
This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: LSU Football Transfer Portal Wishlist: Get to know Dylan Stewart
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