CFB insider shares latest on Dylan Stewart’s status for South Carolina-Florida game
By Jacob Moss
Published:
One of the biggest storylines from Week 4 of the 2026 college football season was the on-field antics of star South Carolina Gamecocks pass rusher Dylan Stewart, who punched an Alabama player in the head after giving up a touchdown and was seen getting into heated arguments with multiple coaches after refusing to leave the field after the punch.
Head coach Shane Beamer announced an indefinite suspension for Stewart on the Sunday following the incident, a suspension that was later reduced to just one game, which was served during the Gamecocks’ Week 5 overtime loss against Kentucky.
Now, Carolina is getting ready to hit the road this Saturday to take on the No. 16 Florida Gators; many are still wondering what Stewart’s status for the game will be. CBS Sports insider Matt Zenitz shed some light on the situation on Wednesday afternoon, saying that things are “trending towards” Stewart playing against the Gators.
Per Zenitz, Stewart practiced on both Tuesday and Wednesday with the team, and sources have told him that if things continue to go well over the next couple of days, then it’s likely that Stewart suits up on Saturday.
The former 5-star recruit has been a dominant force on the defensive side of the ball for the Gamecocks since his freshman campaign back in 2024, racking up 57 total tackles, 23.5 tackles for loss, and 11 sacks so far in his career. Just about every draft analyst has him pegged as a sure-fire first-round selection in next spring’s NFL Draft, with many also viewing him as the top pass rusher likely to be available.
It’s likely that his blowup against Alabama and subsequent suspension dinged his draft stock a bit, but if he can show out over the last half of the season and avoid further incident, then there is no reason he shouldn’t still hear his name called early come next May.
