South Carolina Star Pass Rusher Dylan Stewart Will Return Against Florida; How It Affects the Team

Per ESPN's Pete Thamel, South Carolina star edge rusher Dylan Stewart will return this week against Florida. The Gamecocks get a major piece back for it's defense.

Following a suspension of last week's game against the Kentucky Wildcats by the SEC and South Carolina Stewart will now return for this week's road game against Florida. In addition to the league's punishment following a thrown punch, head coach Shane Beamer also suspended him indefinitely due to altercations with the staff on the sideline.

This is a major piece added back to the defense for Clayton White and his staff. Stewart is the healthiest he has been since 2025. The last time we saw him on the field against Mississippi State and Alabama he was on a snap count. This time around, given the time off, we may see more of him which boosts the overall pass rush and morale on this defense knowing you have a potential first rounder at such an important position.

This also comes at a perfect time for the Gamecocks' coaching staff as Stewart has a chance to remind the country of the player he is and then will have a bye week to rest. Florida comes in with a high powered offense. Having a X-factor like Stewart can tilt this game in South Carolina's favor.

How the Return Happened and the Questions That Still Remain

After his suspension was announced, Shane Beamer fielded questions about when Stewart returns and who makes that decision. Beamer was pretty clear on who had the final say.

"Me," Beamer quickly responded when asked who had say in Stewart's return.

As far as what he needed to see, well it's living up to the program's standards.

"Show that he can embody the standard of what we want this program to be about on and off the field. That's what I want to see," Beamer said.

Getting a player as talented as Stewart back is huge for any team, but the way he was suspended and why he was suspended raises questions about if he should be back this week.

Stewart wasn't solely suspended for an altercation with an Alabama player. Usually players will get ejected for throwing punches, but it happens in the heat of the moment. Stewart on the other hand blatantly disrespected his coaches on the sideline, so much so that Beamer announced a suspension separate from the league's ruling.

Obviously Stewart did whatever Beamer needed him to do in order for the team to feel comfortable welcoming him back. However this feels like a suspension that should've been held up until after the bye week. Fans, media, and the like will get to see for themselves on Saturday if this was a one off or something to worry about in the future.

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