After finishing this past season 4-8, it appeared Tennessee football’s matchup with South Carolina wouldn’t be too tough. Even on the road, the Gamecocks seemed to be growing frustrated with a lack of results under Shane Beamer, and he would potentially be on the hotseat in 2026.
While it’s still a bit of a ‘prove it’ year for South Carolina, Beamer is making sure he has the pieces to win. Not only has he hired Kendal Briles as offensive coordinator and made sure his starting quarterback, LaNorris Sellers, returns, but he has now gotten one of the top defenders in the country to sign up to return next season.
Dylan Stewart, an edge rusher, will officially come back to Columbia for his junior season. According to a report from Pete Thamel, he will be one of the highest-paid players in the country.
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This past season, Stewart finished with 33 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and three forced fumbles in 11 games. As a freshman in 2024, he recorded 23 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in 13 games.
For his standout freshman season, Stewart was named a Freshman All-American and First-Team All-SEC member and the SEC Defensive Newcomer of the Year.
Stewart will be draft eligible after the 2026 season when he completes his third year of college football. He’s expected to be one of the top prospects in the cycle, and could play his way into being one of the first players taken off the board.
Tennessee’s game against South Carolina is slotted for Oct. 24 in Columbia. The kickoff time and TV designation are yet to be determined. While the Vols will be coming off an emotional game at home with Alabama, regardless of the result, the Gamecocks have a bye week heading into the contest.
