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South Carolina sophomore defensive end Dylan Stewart is expected to be one of the top defensive players in all of college football next season. The pass rusher shined as a rookie, and most expect him to take another step in Year 2.
His production led to an offseason recruiting battle. The Gamecocks had to fend off tampering rivals to keep Dylan Stewart on the roster. He says he was offered a bag. He refused!
Speculation from that claim has now been sparked. Who made the illegal contact? Was it someone he’s rejected before?
Stewart arrived in Columbia with much fanfare. The former five-star prospect was the headliner in Shane Beamer’s 2024 recruiting class, choosing the Gamecocks over Ohio State. For much of his recruitment, he was considered a Buckeye lean. He spurned the university to play in the SEC.
In his debut season, the defensive end logged six sacks, finishing 1.5 shy of Jadeveon Clowney’s freshman record at the school. He made an immediate impact in Game 1.
While there were some negative moments, the season as a whole was an overwhelming success. As a result, the Gamecocks made Stewart one of the highest paid players in the nation.
His current On3 NIL valuation sits at $1.8 million, which ranks second amongst defensive players behind Ohio State’s Caleb Downs. Stewart says a few programs tried to get him to No. 1 on the list.
Dylan Stewart rejected offers from tampering suitors.
In a story posted by Pete Nakos, Stewart revealed that he was contacted by numerous schools in both the winter and spring windows despite not having entered the transfer portal.
Stewart is the only returning defensive lineman to sit inside the top-four in both havoc plays (62) and PFF pass rush grade (91.4) entering 2025. Sources told On3 that schools made a run at Stewart in the portal in both the winter and spring free agency windows.
“I wasn’t looking,” the rising sophomore told On3.
Stewart did not name names. There are a number of programs that would’ve liked to add the talented pass rusher to their roster, Ohio State included.
The Buckeyes had four defensive linemen selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. Did they make another run at Stewart only to be spurned again? We’ll never know!
Stewart is the second player from the South Carolina football roster to detail tampering this offseason, an issue that’s become prevalent in college athletics.
Starting QB LaNorris Sellers and his father said that teams offered upwards of $8 million to the passer across two seasons. He, too, said no.
Unfortunately, the names of the programs illegally contacting Dylan Stewart were not unveiled. If one was Ohio State, the rejection only adds insult to injury. Shane Beamer is glad both Sellers and Stewart will be Gamecocks this fall.