COLUMBIA — South Carolina’s defense suffered an early setback in Saturday’s matchup against No. 14 Oklahoma, as star defensive end and preseason All-American Dylan Stewart was forced to leave the game during the opening drive.
According to SEC Network sideline reporter Alyssa Lang, Stewart sustained a hip flexor injury. The standout sophomore walked off the field slowly and was immediately taken to the medical tent with the Gamecocks’ training staff. Moments later, he made his way to the locker room for further evaluation.
Lang reported that trainers iced Stewart’s hip area, and the defensive end spent time on the exercise bike in an attempt to loosen up before returning.
Stewart briefly reentered the game with 12:51 left in the second quarter, playing just one snap before exiting again. As he came off the field, there appeared to be some exchange of words between Stewart and a few Oklahoma players, prompting USC trainers to escort him away.
In Stewart’s absence, Desmond Umeozulu and Jatius Geer rotated at his left defensive end position.
Stewart, a former five-star recruit, has been one of South Carolina’s defensive leaders this season. After a breakout freshman campaign that earned him First-Team All-SEC honors, he entered 2025 as one of the conference’s top pass rushers. Through six games this year, he had recorded 27 tackles, a team-high 9.5 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks — both leading the team.
His availability moving forward could be a key storyline for a Gamecock defense already battling depth concerns up front.
