Oklahoma Must Be Ready for Dylan Stewart, South Carolina's 'Physical' D-Line

NORMAN — The Sooners’ offensive line performed well against Mississippi State last week.

In Oklahoma’s 23-15 win over the Bulldogs, quarterback John Mateer was sacked only one time. Star sophomore offensive tackle Michael Fasusi was back in the lineup after missing five and a half games with a shoulder injury, and with him back, the offensive front was much more cohesive.

The line, though, will face a tougher test in Week 9.

Oklahoma hosts South Carolina on Saturday. Gamecocks edge rusher Dylan Stewart is one of college football’s top defensive players, and the Sooners’ offensive line must be at its best to limit him.

“He’s an incredible talent,” OU offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle said. “Nothing but respect and awe for the way that he plays football.”

Stewart’s talent and athleticism have never been in question.

The 6-foot-5, 250-pound defensive end was a consensus 5-star recruit in the Class of 2024 and earned All-SEC honors in each of his first two seasons in Columbia. Stewart is widely viewed as a top 10 prospect for the 2027 NFL Draft.

Stewart’s discipline, however, has raised red flags on multiple occasions.

Last year, Stewart was ejected from South Carolina’s game against Vanderbilt after receiving an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. He was called for another unsportsmanlike conduct foul in this year’s game against Alabama, as he threw a punch at Alabama tight end Josh Ford in the Crimson Tide’s 49-18 win on Sept. 26. South Carolina and the SEC jointly suspended Stewart for one game after that incident.

The defensive end has been at his best, though, since returning.

In South Carolina’s road win over No. 16 Florida on Oct. 10, Stewart notched four solo tackles, two forced fumbles and a sack. He followed that up with two solo tackles and a strip sack that helped the Gamecocks upset No. 11 Tennessee last week.

Stewart comes into Saturday playing his best football. And that creates quite the challenge for Oklahoma’s blockers.

“He’s a real player,” Arbuckle said. “He can wreck a game if you let him, and he goes out there, and he makes it happen, especially whenever the biggest moments call for it. You definitely have to be aware of where he is at and how you’re going to handle him in different situations.”

Stewart is the star player on South Carolina’s defense, but he’s far from the Gamecocks’ only impressive talent on the defensive line.

Illinois transfer Tomiwa Durojaiye leads South Carolina with 5.5 tackles for loss, and he boasts a stellar 80.6 Pro Football Focus (PFF) defensive grade. Anthony Addison has gotten the most reps on the opposite side of Stewart, and he has logged six quarterback hurries and three sacks so far in 2026.

All five of Oklahoma’s offensive linemen must play disciplined, physical football for the Sooners to build on the success they had against Mississippi State.

“They’re able to play free, fast, physical, fly around and make life hard sometimes,” Arbuckle said. “So, (we’ve) got to be ready, got to be delivering our best.”

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