Dylan Stewart should leave South Carolina for the NFL because Shane Beamer’s suspension feels more performative than genuine
The Gamecocks’ star pass rusher’s indefinite suspension raises more questions about Beamer’s motives than Stewart’s maturity.
Dylan Stewart’s time at South Carolina should be over. The Gamecocks’ star pass rusher was recently suspended by head coach Shane Beamer and the SEC after getting into an altercation against Alabama.
More importantly, the suspension stems from something deeper. Stewart was caught on camera ignoring Beamer while the coach told him to jog off the field, a moment that revealed a fractured relationship between South Carolina’s best player and its head coach.
Stewart exploded onto the scene as a true freshman and former five-star recruit. It was clear from the jump that he was going to be an elite pass rusher. Injuries to his back last year derailed his trajectory, and the overall lack of team success has completely reshaped expectations for South Carolina’s program. Beamer has framed the suspension as indefinite, stating Stewart won’t return until Beamer decides he can.
Beamer’s statement rings hollow
When speaking to the media this week, Beamer attempted to frame the suspension as being for Stewart’s benefit.
“I do also know the kid has a lot of stuff going on in his life,” Beamer stated. “The easy thing from a football standpoint would be to fine you, go out there on the field, do some up-downs, run extra, that will be your punishment, but we need you on Saturday to go beat Kentucky. That’s the easy thing to do. But the right thing to do is the hard thing to do, and that’s to sit him down. Hopefully this will be an opportunity for him to learn and be better going forward. … I’m here for him, and I’ve always got his back.”
I find a lot of this hard to believe. The statement feels disingenuous and performative. If Beamer had a close relationship with Stewart, Stewart wouldn’t have responded the way he did.
He wouldn’t have ignored his coach coming off the field. If he respected Beamer and they were as tight as Beamer is trying to claim, Stewart would have jogged off without incident, and this whole situation never would have bubbled up into what it is.
This is about Beamer saving himself
The truth is, Beamer does not have Stewart’s best interests in mind. Beamer is trying to save himself in what will likely be his last season as South Carolina’s head coach. It will accelerate his firing if it becomes clear he doesn’t have the respect of his best players. Framing the suspension as some sort of character development opportunity allows Beamer to project authority he clearly doesn’t have in that locker room.
It’s time for Dylan Stewart to make the jump to the NFL because this situation is only going to get worse for him. The longer he stays suspended, the worse it will make him look to NFL evaluators who are watching every development closely.
Stewart is a rare talent with legitimate first-round potential. Sitting out games over a power struggle with a lame-duck head coach does nothing to help his draft stock.
Stewart and his camp should recognize that the best path forward is to declare for the 2026 NFL Draft and leave this mess behind. South Carolina’s program isn’t going anywhere meaningful this season, and Stewart has no reason to risk his health or reputation in a deteriorating situation.
