South Carolina might be forced to finish its opening matchup of the 2025 college football season against Virginia Tech without the best player of its stellar defense. As the first half came to a close, star defensive end Dylan Stewart appeared to suffer a shoulder injury.
Stewart suffered the injury while rushing quarterback Kyron Drones late in the second quarter. After beating his block, Stewart managed to make contact with Drones before immediately grabbing his right shoulder. He remained out through halftime but did start in the second half.
Stewart required medical attention while remaining down on the field before walking off under his own power. He was seen rotating and working out his shoulder as he returned to the sidelines. The injury, unfortunately, gave Virginia Tech additional time, which led to a field goal at the end of the first half.
Although Stewart returned to the field, it remains to be seen how significantly he hurt his shoulder. Stewart did not make a significant impact in reaching the mobile Drones before the injury.
South Carolina to lean on Dylan Stewart in 2025 football season
Entering the 2025 season, Stewart was the last man standing from South Carolina's elite 2024 defensive line. He started as a freshman in 2024 alongside Tonka Hemingway, TJ Sanders and Kyle Kennard, who all entered the 2025 NFL Draft.
Although the Gamecocks added a handful of transfers and returned a significant portion of their secondary, the heart of their defense has been their defensive line. As such, the team turned to Stewart, who was second on the team with 6.5 sacks in 2024, as its new tone-setter.
While Stewart does not have the benefit of playing with elite teammates anymore, many still view him as arguably the best edge-rusher in the SEC. South Carolina's top pass-rusher in 2024, Kennard, took home the Bronko Nagurski Award, setting a high precedent for Stewart in 2025.
