One of the brightest defensive stars in college football will miss the start of the season. Dylan Stewart, the edge rusher from South Carolina, won't be ready for the Gamecocks' first game against Kent State on Sept. 5, reports Chris Low of On3. Low added that neither will offensive lineman Jacarrius Peak.
Malik Brown of ClutchPoints reports that Stewart is recovering from a back injury suffered during last season, while Peak hurt his knee playing basketball. "They’re going to play and want to play. I just don’t know that it’s realistic to think they will be back for the start of the season,” He recently was named to the Preseason All-American first team and could be a top pick in next year's NFL Draft.
Stewart, who measures at 6-foot-6 and 247 pounds, has 11 sacks and 22.5 tackles for loss in his two seasons in Columbia. He's also forced six fumbles and recovered two. That kind of production will certainly be missed, though the Gamecocks face Towson on Sept. 12, meaning there's not a real test until the Mississippi State Game on Sept. 19.
In the meantime, Stewart and offensive lineman Jacarrius Peak will recover from their injuries, and they create opportunities for talented youngsters, Low added on social media. "Freshman edge rusher Julian Walker and freshman OT Darius Gray have been impressive this preseason. Both will be hard to keep off the field," Low wrote.
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