South Carolina's Dylan Stewart earns preseason All-American nod from ESPN

South Carolina football EDGE Dylan Stewart has picked up a ton of offseason recognition heading into his sophomore campaign. That continued on Monday, as the former five-star prospect earned a spot on the preseason All-American team from ESPN’s Chris Low.

Stewart now has another preseason first-team recognition under his belt. He joins Clemson EDGE TJ Parker as the other defensive end on the Low/ESPN All-American team.

Here’s what Low had to say about the South Carolina star.

“Stewart burst onto the scene this past season as one of the best freshmen in college football and immediately asserted himself as one of the most feared pass rushers in the SEC. The 6-5, 245-pound Stewart finished with 6.5 sacks to rank third among FBS true freshmen. He also forced three fumbles. With a year of experience in the SEC, Stewart should be even better, and more consistent, in 2025.”

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Stewart has been included on almost every preseason All-American and preseason All-SEC team available this summer. He’s also on the watch list for virtually every applicable defensive award.

The hype is well-warranted. Despite facing double-teams and having Nagurski Trophy winner Kyle Kennard gobbling up sacks on the other side, Stewart logged 6.5 sacks. He was also among the national leaders in total quarterback pressures. He earned Freshman All-American and Freshman Defensive Player of the Year honors for his efforts.

Stewart enters 2025 as the unquestioned top player on Carolina’s defense. Though the Gamecocks have significant holes to fill on that side of the ball, Stewart’s presence at EDGE provides optimism that defensive coordinator Clayton White’s unit can come close to replicating its elite success from last season.

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