Josh Pate Names SEC Program That Regressed Last Season

The South Carolina Gamecocks have a noticeable trend under head coach Shane Beamer that they need to break.

South Carolina's Pattern Is Hard to Ignore

Any time the Gamecocks have a promising season, the next year is a disappointment. In 2022, the team went 8-5 in Year 2 under Beamer. It looked like he had turned the program around. However, in 2023, the team fell back to 5-7.

Then, in 2024, the team had a great 9-4 season and, at the end of the year, was playing as good as anyone. There was even an argument to be made that the Gamecocks deserved to be in the College Football Playoff.

Due to that season and the return of young stars in quarterback LaNorris Sellers and EDGE Dylan Stewart, the Gamecocks started the year ranked No. 13 and climbed as high as No. 10.

But they ultimately went 4-8 and were one of the worst teams in the SEC. While Beamer needs to break that trend, this isn't the year he would want to do it. Because the trend suggests this will be a good season for South Carolina.

South Carolina Gamecocks linebacker Dylan Stewart (6) brings down South Carolina State Bulldogs running back KZ Adams (17). | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

Josh Pate Sees a Bounce-Back Season

But for the season to be a good season, the Gamecocks need their stars to play like stars. That's what Stewart and Sellers must do.

Josh Pate revealed on "Josh Pate's College Football Show" that Stewart's regression in 2025 was an issue for the whole team.

"Dylan Stewart is still at South Carolina," Pate said. "Looking forward to Dylan Stewart this year. It was kind of a regression on his part last year. He only had 4.5 sacks last year, but that was kind of South Carolina's story as a team. They've got to have him explode... Dylan Stewart just looks different than everybody else on the field."

The Gamecocks Go As Stewart Goes

As a freshman, Stewart looked like a star and a future top pick in the NFL draft. He finished with 23 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks.

In 2025, it wasn't so much that he regressed, because in some areas, he didn't. He had 33 tackles and 12.5 tackles for loss, but had 4.5 sacks. The issue was more that he didn't take the jump that many thought he would take.

It felt like he was poised for a truly great season, where he was an unblockable game wrecker. That just never came to life.

That's what he will need to become this year. If he can, the trend will continue, and South Carolina will have a good season. But if he doesn't, it will be another bad season in Columbia.

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