5-star edge rusher Stewart picks South Carolina

• Tom VanHaaren, ESPN Staff WriterAug 1, 2023, 11:36 AM ET

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  • ESPN personnel writer
  • Joined ESPN in 2011
  • Finished from Central Michigan

South Carolina coach Shane Beamer got one of his most significant recruiting wins on Tuesday when luxury edge Dylan Stewart announced his commitment to the Gamecocks.Stewart is the No. 15

hire general in the 2024 class, a 6-foot-6, 245-pound possibility out of Washington, D.C., and the No. 3 defensive end in the class. Stewart selected South Carolina over Ohio State and believes he has discovered the right fit for him.

“It was the people, I like the people at South Carolina, I enjoy the city and state,” Stewart told ESPN. “I understand I’ll be good up there and I didn’t have a doubt in my mind about it.”

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Stewart had offers from nearly every significant program in the nation and had actually taken sees to Georgia, Miami, Ohio State, Penn State, Alabama and a lot of others. The Gamecocks triumphed, though, and it was his official visit in June that sealed the offer for him.Stewart stated

he had narrowed his list to South Carolina and Ohio State, however after taking a see to see the Gamecocks over the summer season, he had no doubt that was where he was supposed to be. A huge part of that was the head coach, Beamer, and what he found out about his future coach on the visit.

“He’s quite a player’s coach,” Stewart said. “That’s all [the gamers] speak about is how excellent of a coach he is. I saw how he communicated with the players and the coaches.”

Stewart will play the Jack position for South Carolina’s defense, which will allow him to utilize his flexibility. The coaches have told him he’ll rush from several places, off the ball blitzes, drop into protection and stunting to get him to the quarterback.He says he understands it’s going to take time and work to see the field, but he has high expectations for the effect he wants to make as soon as he gets to school.

“I’m a Day 1 starter,” Stewart said.Stewart is the

first five-star hire to choose the Gamecocks since defensive end Jordan Burch in the 2020 class. He’s now the highest-ranked commitment in the class and offers South Carolina 7 ESPN 300 dedications in the 2024 cycle.