South Carolina beats out Ohio State, Miami, Georgia for 5-star edge Dylan Stewart

August 1, 2023 Admin

South Carolina scored a major win on the recruiting trail Tuesday morning when five-star edge Dylan Stewart committed to the Gamecocks. Here’s what you need to know:

Stewart is the nation’s No. 10 prospect overall and the No. 2 edge rusher in the Class of 2024 in the 247Sports Composite. He’s the top-ranked player in Washington, D.C.
This marks the second consecutive cycle that South Carolina coach Shane Beamer and his staff have gone to Washington D.C. to land a five-star prospect. Athlete Nyckoles Harbor signed with the Gamecocks in February, marking the biggest recruiting win of Beamer’s career at the time.
Stewart picked the Gamecocks over Ohio State, Miami, Georgia and Maryland. In addition to South Carolina, he took official visits to Ohio State, Miami and Georgia.
The Gamecocks now have 15 commitments in their 2024 class, including nine blue-chippers.

What this says about South Carolina

Holy cow. It’s one thing for a coaching staff to say it’s going to commit to the recruiting trail and bring in top talent. It’s an entirely different thing to actually do it — especially in this era of college football where the gap between the haves and have nots is so massive. Beamer and his staff are officially on a roll.

Even three years ago, South Carolina wouldn’t have been much of a natural destination for five-star prospects who didn’t grow up in-state. After the Steve Spurrier years, the Gamecocks regressed under Will Muschamp, and rival Clemson consistently ran away with the recruiting race. Beamer not only has made South Carolina a contender again, but the Gamecocks are now putting Clemson and other SEC teams on notice. Their profile was already raised significantly in the 2022 season after they beat both Tennessee and Clemson, and now Beamer is surging on the recruiting trail, too.

How is South Carolina’s 2024 class shaping up?

The Gamecocks are in good shape at the moment with a well-rounded group. Four-star quarterback Dante Reno has been committed for more than a year, and South Carolina has two big-time in-state offensive line prospects in tackle Josiah Thompson (ranked No. 54 nationally) and tackle Kam Pringle (ranked No. 55 nationally). Stewart is the first defensive lineman, so it stands to reason the Gamecocks will want to beef up that position between now and December, but this is certainly a strong start.

What they’re saying

“I think there’s guys who have his same athleticism and there’s guys who have the measurable he has, but it’s rare when you find a guy who has the combination of both that can also drop in coverage and be a true outside linebacker,” Friendship Academy coach Michael Hunter said. “It’s either you are an outside linebacker or a defensive end or you’re big or you can rush the passer. He has a combination of all of them, that’s what makes him special.”