Latest on Dylan Stewart's injury recovery from Shane Beamer as spring practice wraps up

Dylan Stewart didn’t practice at all this spring as he works his way back from a back injury, which limited his playing time in the latter part of the 2025 season.

With spring practice now over and South Carolina turning its attention towards the summer, head coach Shane Beamer provided the latest update on where things stand with Stewart’s recovery.

“Continue to just get well with his injury. It’s one of those that just needs rest right now,” Beamer said on Tuesday. “Kind of the same thing I told you guys a few weeks ago. He just needs to rest. It’s not like we send him to a doctor, and he makes a couple of adjustments and he’s good to go and he jumps right back into the weight room. He just needs to rest. That’s the plan for him right now.”

Stewart participated in some activities in January and February during winter workouts. However, once spring practice began in early March, he wasn’t able to be out there practicing with the rest of the team.

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Beamer shared that Stewart, entering his third year with the program at EDGE, was out on the field Tuesday morning.

“He was out doing some things on the field this morning while I was walking on the field, talking with him this morning, myself and Derrick Moore,” Beamer said. “The thing for him is just resting and getting well, to be able to do the things he needs to do when we come back at the end of May and start summer school, then put himself in position to have the 2026 season that he and we want him to have.”

Stewart played and started in 11 of the Gamecocks’ 12 games last season. He only missed one game against Coastal Carolina in late November. He finished his sophomore year with 33 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.

When Beamer was asked directly if surgery could be an option for Stewart, he said they’ve always “looked at everything and talked about what’s best for each and every player.”

“We always look at all options,” he said. “Those things were discussed, going back to last season and in January. Feel like with Dylan and our medical team, we’re where we need to be and he’s where he needs to be.

“We’re on the home stretch of being able to get well, get healthy and be the best version of him as a player that he’s been in college going forward in 2026.”

South Carolina opens the 2026 regular season against Kent State on Saturday, Sept. 5, at Williams-Brice Stadium.

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