Dylan Stewart ‘on track’ to return from suspension against Florida, per report
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Dylan Stewart’s suspension looks as if it will be for just one game.
The star South Carolina edge rusher, who sat out Week 5’s overtime loss to Kentucky for his actions against Alabama, will travel with the team to Week 6’s game at Florida and “is on track to … play” if “things continue to progress well,” according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
Shane Beamer, during his “Carolina Calls” radio show on Thursday, confirmed Thamel’s report that Stewart would travel with the team.
Beamer made the move to suspend Stewart after the junior talked back to assistant coaches and punched a Crimson Tide player during Week 4. ESPN cameras also spotted Beamer and Stewart in a heated exchange in the first half, not long after Stewart had been hit with a roughing-the-passer penalty.
Beamer later told ESPN’s Marty Smith that he and Stewart had an “emotional meeting” the Monday after the game, during which Stewart apologized for his actions. During his weekly teleconference with reporters on Sunday,Beamer said that there was “no update” on the status of Stewart. But on Wednesday, CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz reported that things were “trending” toward Stewart returning against the Gators on Saturday.
Now, Zenitz’s report has been augmented by Thamel’s a day later, with Beamer confirming Stewart’s travel while stopping short of declaring him available.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
