Dylan Stewart’s commitment to South Carolina "The big picture"
August 01, 2023
First, it was Spencer Rattler. Then it was 2023 five-star recruit Nyckoles Harbor. Now, it’s 2024 five-star defensive end Dylan Stewart the No. 10 player and No. 2 edge rusher in the 2024 class, per the 247Sports Composite set off a firestorm in the college football recruiting world with his verbal commitment to the South Carolina Gamecocks on Tuesday morning.
“#WelcomeHome !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
Beamer tweeted shortly after Stewart’s announcement.
That South Carolina landed a player of Stewart’s caliber isn’t without precedent, but it’s not exactly a routine thing in Columbia. The Gamecocks have signed seven five-star recruits in the modern recruiting rankings era outside of Stewart. Three of those pledges have come in since 2018. Of those three, Jordan Burch and Zacch Pickens were in-state products. Harbor, as many suitors as he had, was unique as an elite-level track athlete and required some projecting.
Stewart is flat-out different.
South Carolina beat out everyone for his services. Ohio State. Georgia and Alabama. The Gamecocks often go toe-to-toe with those schools on the recruiting trail. They also lose out in almost every one of those battles.
“I just look at the way (Beamer) is recruiting they’re making Clemson work much harder in the state than they have, getting in on guys like Nick Harbor,” On3.com’s Andy Staples told The State at SEC Media Days in Nashville last month. “You weren’t sure if they were going to be able to keep doing that, and that’s the thing that I think has been the most pleasant surprise. “He’s still going after people that he would have gone after when he was an assistant at Oklahoma and an assistant at Georgia, and they’re listening. I think that’s very promising.” It’s the last part of that quote that rings most true: The Gamecocks are on to something.
South Carolina’s 2024 class has six commitments from players rated in the top 100 in the 247Sports Composite, a ranking that factors in all networks. No USC class in modern history has ever accomplished that. Oh, and there are still almost five months until the early signing period. The point is, Beamer is swinging for the fences. He’s hit some doubles and triples here and there. Harbor was a home run. Stewart is a grand slam and then some.
South Carolina went to war with the big dogs of college football and won. That’s something. There’s also the increasingly profitable pipeline from the D.C.-Maryland-Virginia area to Columbia that continues to pay dividends.
Those around the South Carolina program have long believed the DMV is a fertile recruiting ground. The closest current major football power, Penn State, is still roughly five hours' drive from the region. Columbia is only a smidge further at 6 and a half hours or so and is the closest geographic SEC school to the area. Throw in longstanding connections Beamer, defensive line coach Sterling Lucas (Stewart’s lead recruiter), special teams coordinator Pete Lembo and defensive backs coach Torrian Gray have to the area, and the success makes sense.
August 01, 2023
First, it was Spencer Rattler. Then it was 2023 five-star recruit Nyckoles Harbor. Now, it’s 2024 five-star defensive end Dylan Stewart the No. 10 player and No. 2 edge rusher in the 2024 class, per the 247Sports Composite set off a firestorm in the college football recruiting world with his verbal commitment to the South Carolina Gamecocks on Tuesday morning.
“#WelcomeHome !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
Beamer tweeted shortly after Stewart’s announcement.
That South Carolina landed a player of Stewart’s caliber isn’t without precedent, but it’s not exactly a routine thing in Columbia. The Gamecocks have signed seven five-star recruits in the modern recruiting rankings era outside of Stewart. Three of those pledges have come in since 2018. Of those three, Jordan Burch and Zacch Pickens were in-state products. Harbor, as many suitors as he had, was unique as an elite-level track athlete and required some projecting.
Stewart is flat-out different.
South Carolina beat out everyone for his services. Ohio State. Georgia and Alabama. The Gamecocks often go toe-to-toe with those schools on the recruiting trail. They also lose out in almost every one of those battles.
“I just look at the way (Beamer) is recruiting they’re making Clemson work much harder in the state than they have, getting in on guys like Nick Harbor,” On3.com’s Andy Staples told The State at SEC Media Days in Nashville last month. “You weren’t sure if they were going to be able to keep doing that, and that’s the thing that I think has been the most pleasant surprise. “He’s still going after people that he would have gone after when he was an assistant at Oklahoma and an assistant at Georgia, and they’re listening. I think that’s very promising.” It’s the last part of that quote that rings most true: The Gamecocks are on to something.
South Carolina’s 2024 class has six commitments from players rated in the top 100 in the 247Sports Composite, a ranking that factors in all networks. No USC class in modern history has ever accomplished that. Oh, and there are still almost five months until the early signing period. The point is, Beamer is swinging for the fences. He’s hit some doubles and triples here and there. Harbor was a home run. Stewart is a grand slam and then some.
South Carolina went to war with the big dogs of college football and won. That’s something. There’s also the increasingly profitable pipeline from the D.C.-Maryland-Virginia area to Columbia that continues to pay dividends.
Those around the South Carolina program have long believed the DMV is a fertile recruiting ground. The closest current major football power, Penn State, is still roughly five hours' drive from the region. Columbia is only a smidge further at 6 and a half hours or so and is the closest geographic SEC school to the area. Throw in longstanding connections Beamer, defensive line coach Sterling Lucas (Stewart’s lead recruiter), special teams coordinator Pete Lembo and defensive backs coach Torrian Gray have to the area, and the success makes sense.