Julian Walker on potentially playing with Dylan Stewart: 'I believe that can be a scary duo'

By the standard set the season before, 2025 was a down year for Dylan Stewart. Although a down year for Stewart is far from being a bad year.

Stewart finished with more tackles and the same number of forced fumbles, but his 4.5 sacks in 11 games were less than his 6.5 as a freshman. Some of that had to do with opponents double-teaming him, which helped Bryan Thomas Jr. lead the team with seven sacks. He also “basically had a broken back” towards the end of the season, per head coach Shane Beamer.

Thomas is out of eligibility and won’t be back next season, which leaves Stewart still as the primary focus for opposing teams when putting together a game plan. However, South Carolina may have found its next great edge rusher to complement and take some of the pressure off Stewart.

On day two of National Signing Day, the Gamecocks received a nice surprise when Dutch Fork (SC) four-star EDGE Julian Walker flipped his pledge from Michigan and signed with South Carolina on Thursday morning. Walker, listed at 6-foot-6, 255 pounds, believes he and Stewart could make a great pairing.

“I believe that we’ll see that Dylan Stewart-Julian Walker duo soon,” Walker said. “We can do something scary, honestly. I believe that can be a scary duo that can come upon college football.”

Become part of The Insiders Forum with GamecockCentral. Start for $1, and get a complimentary year of The Athletic included with your membership.

While Walker won’t suit up for the Gamecocks until next season, he and Stewart have already started forming a good relationship. In a report from The Wolverine’s Ethan McDowell, Stewart had been in consistent contact with him over the last few weeks. They even spent some time together during Walker’s last trip to South Carolina in November.

“Dylan and them, they’re like my brothers,” Walker said. “I talk to them. We have a really good relationship.”

There’s one big potential caveat, though. It’s currently unclear if Stewart will be back at South Carolina next year. He could always opt to transfer to another school with one more year to go before becoming eligible for the 2027 NFL Draft.

The transfer portal won’t officially open until Jan. 2, though some players have already started to make their plans for 2026 and announced their intentions to transfer. Stewart hasn’t done that yet, but Beamer says he’s had good conversations with him so far this offseason.

“They’re extremely excited about what this team could be in 2026, and they’re a big part of that. There’s no question,” Beamer said on Wednesday. “I know there’s no sense of, ‘I’m not really sure South Carolina’s where I want to be.’ It’s them making the best decisions for them and their families and their futures.”

But if Stewart were to return for his junior season, the Stewart-Walker duo could be a fun one to watch.

“I feel like they’re bringing in a player who can do multiple things,” Walker said about what he brings to South Carolina. “I could play inside, play outside. You’re going to get somebody who’s going to set an example. I’m coming in there, ready to work, no distractions. I’m ready to rebuild, I’m ready to put my head down and work.”

The Insiders Forum: Discuss South Carolina football!