COLUMBIA, S.C. — It appears South Carolina might be getting back two of its starters–one on offense and one on defense–when they host Mississippi State Saturday (4:15 p.m.) at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia to open SEC play.
Right now, defensive end Dylan Stewart and offensive tackle Jacarrius Peak are listed as probable for Saturday’s game. The two have missed the first two weeks of the season and all of fall camp, as Stewart was recovering from back issues and Peak with a knee.
“We’ll see where they are as the week goes,” South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer said earlier this week. “But they’re certainly trending in the right direction.”
Peak has been out since February when he injured his knee while playing a pickup basketball game. He did not practice in the spring or in the summer or fall camp. The same can be said for Stewart, who was shut down in the spring because of back spasms that have forced him to miss all of spring practice, the summer and fall camp.
Though getting Peak back could be huge for the Carolina offense, Stewart’s return on defense is even bigger. The Bulldogs (2-0) are coming off a 38-13 victory at Minnesota.
Quarterback Kamario Taylor has thrown for 570 yards with 7 touchdowns across the first two games, including another 145 rushing yards. Defenses have sacked him just once this season. In two seasons at Carolina, Stewart has 11 career sacks and has forced six fumbles.
Peak, a 6‑4, 305‑pound offensive tackle from Valdosta, Ga., played four seasons at NC State from 2022 to 2025 before transferring to Carolina in January. He started nearly all 38 of the games he appeared in, while accumulating over 2,200 offensive snaps.
Through two games, with true freshman Darius Gray playing left tackle, the Gamecocks (2-0) have allowed one sack in each game to quarterback LaNorris Sellers.
It was not all good news for the Gamecocks. Center Carter Miller was listed as questionable on the report.
–photo courtesy of South Carolina Athletics