South Carolina star Dylan Stewart recovering from back injury. Here’s what to know
South Carolina edge rusher Dylan Stewart missed all 15 spring practices while recovering from a back injury that dates to the 2025 season. Head coach Shane Beamer said the plan is rest — not surgery — but the Gamecocks haven’t ruled out that possibility.
FULL STORY: Will South Carolina edge Dylan Stewart need surgery? What Shane Beamer said
Here are key takeaways:
• The injury: Stewart suffered a back injury during the 2025 season. Beamer said after the season that Stewart was playing with “basically a broken back.”
• The recovery plan: After visiting doctors and specialists, Beamer said the best course is rest. “It’s not like we send him to a doctor, he makes a couple of adjustments, and he’s good to go,” Beamer said.
• Surgery not ruled out: Beamer said surgery was discussed as far back as January but added the medical team believes Stewart is “on the home stretch of being able to get well.”
• The timeline: Beamer said Stewart needs to be healthy enough “to do the things he needs to do at the end of May.” The 6-foot-5, 245-pound edge rusher was often spotted in street clothes during spring practices.
• What’s at stake: Stewart, a Washington, D.C., native, has recorded 56 tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss and six sacks in two seasons and is considered capable of being the first defensive player taken in the 2027 NFL Draft.
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The full story in the link at top was reported, written and edited entirely by journalists.
This story was originally published April 22, 2026 at 9:56 AM with the headline "South Carolina star Dylan Stewart recovering from back injury. Here’s what to know."
