Gamecock football soars in recruiting rankings after Dylan Stewart commits

Five-star recruit Dylan Stewart’s commitment to South Carolina sent shockwaves through the building and set Gamecocks Twitter on fire Tuesday.

It also made for a serious recruiting spike.

USC’s 2024 class jumped six spots from No. 24 to No. 16 in the 247Sports team composite rankings after the commitment of Stewart, a five-star edge rusher from Washington, D.C., who ranks No. 10 nationally.

South Carolina had the No. 15 recruiting class nationally in 2012 but went another 10 years without reaching that mark until the most recent cycle, when the Gamecocks finished at No. 16 nationally for the class of 2023. Now they’re in position to do it in back-to-back seasons under coach Shane Beamer.

Factoring in Stewart’s commitment, Gamecocks moved ahead of prominent teams including North Carolina, Texas, Auburn and Miami and moved within seven spots of rival Clemson, which currently sits at No. 9.

The Gamecocks’ incoming class is up to 15 commitments, including nine from players who rank as four-star or five-star recruits and six three-star recruits. USC’s class also ranks eighth among SEC teams after Stewart’s commitment.

If rankings hold, Stewart (6-foot-5, 235 pounds) will be the highest ranked player to commit to USC in the Shane Beamer era. Freshman wide receiver Nyck Harbor was the No. 19 composite recruit in the Class of 2023; Stewart currently sits at No. 10 nationally in the 247Sports Composite.

Stewart also had Georgia, Miami and Ohio State (previously thought to be his top school) on his shortlist before picking USC. He was on campus for the team’s summer cookout event last weekend.

“I love it there,” Stewart told 247Sports of South Carolina on Tuesday. “It’s the people. They have everything I ever want in a school. I will be playing in the SEC, I love the town, I love the people there. I love the scheme I will be playing in there.”

In other website-specific rankings, South Carolina sits at No. 17 on the On3 Sports rankings and No. 26 in the Rivals rankings after Stewart’s commitment.

South Carolina has frequently been around the top 25 of 247Sports’ composite team rankings in the modern recruiting era, which dates back to the early 2000s.

Beamer’s predecessor, Will Muschamp, was considered an excellent recruiter and signed four consecutive top 25 recruiting classes from 2017 to 2020 with a high mark of No. 18 in 2018. Muschamp also had the No. 19 composite recruiting class in 2020.

The back half of Steve Spurrier’s South Carolina tenure also included some strong recruiting classes: From 2011 to 2015, the Gamecocks ranked no lower than No. 15 in the composite rankings.

USC’s high mark in the modern recruiting era remains the Class of 2007, which ESPN ranked as the fourth best in the nation. That group featured, among others, quarterback Stephen Garcia, cornerback Chris Culliver and linebacker Melvin Ingram.

Gamecocks’ 5-star history

Ranked by player rating assigned by 247Sports

1. Jadeveon Clowney (2011)

2. Jordan Burch (2020)

3. Dylan Stewart (2024)

4. Marcus Lattimore (2010)

5. Demetrius Summers (2003)

6. Zacch Pickens (2019)

7. Nyck Harbor (2023)

South Carolina football 2024 commits

July 2, 2022: QB Dante Reno — Windsor, Conn.

Jan. 22: OT Kam Pringle — Dorchester, SC

Jan. 24: TE Michael Smith — Savannah, Ga.

Jan. 27: LB Wendell Gregory — Marietta, Ga.

Feb. 3: WR Mazeo Bennett — Greenville, SC

March 31: OL Blake Franks — Greenville, SC

April 14: OL Josiah Thompson — Dillon, SC

April 19: DB Kelvin Hunter — Florence, SC

April 19: CB Braydon Lee — Upper Marlboro, Md.

June 12: P Mason Love — Riverside, Mo.

June 17: LB Fred Johnson — Norfolk, Va.

June 23: RB Matthew Fuller — Jesup, Ga.

June 26: DB David Bucey — Savannah, Ga.

July 30: WR Zy’Marion Lang — Palmetto, Fla.

Aug. 1: DE Dylan Stewart — Washington, DC