South Carolina dropped to 2-2 on the season after a 49-18 loss to Alabama over the weekend. There was plenty of drama stemming from the game, as Dylan Stewart struck an Alabama player during the game. This resulted in Stewart being suspended by South Carolina and head coach Shane Beamer indefinitely.
Now, Coach Beamer is addressing the future of Stewart with the program, per Brad Crawford of CBS Sports.
“Shane, what determines when or if Dylan will return to the program?” Beamer was asked.
“Me,” the coach responded with defiance.
The Gamecocks coach also responded that Stewart is still suspended from the program and a decision on his future has not been made. The coach also noted that the two have spoken since the incident.
Article Continues Below“He and I have had some emotional conversations with each other Sunday and (Monday). … He made a mistake. I understand a lot of the negative attention that he has brought on himself; I’m well aware of that,” said Beamer. “I’m not condoning any of that; please don’t misunderstand what I’m saying. But I do also know the kid has a lot of stuff going on in his life. Yes, he’s Dylan Stewart, future NFL Draft star and all that. But he’s still a young man at heart and dealing with some things. We’re trying to help him through it.”
Stewart has been viewed as a potential top-ten draft pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, but has struggled this year. He did not record a statistic against Alabama, and he has just one tackle this season.
“Dylan, I know, is getting butchered I’m sure right now nationally, and I hurt for him, because Saturday night was not acceptable, but he’s a good kid,” Beamer said. “It breaks my heart. I hurt for him. We’re trying to help him through this situation.”
Stewart was also suspended by the SEC for his actions and will miss the game this weekend. South Carolina will host a 23rd-ranked Kentucky squad on Saturday.