Four Gamecocks Recognized by Phil Steele

Four University of South Carolina football players were recognized on Phil Steele’s Preseason All-America and/or All-SEC teams, it was announced today.

Edge rusher Dylan Stewart and punt returner Vicari Swain both were named first-team All-SEC and second-team All-America by the national publication. Nyck Harbor earned third-team All-SEC accolades as a kick returner, while linebacker Fred Johnson was tabbed to the preseason fourth-team All-SEC unit.

Stewart, a 6-5, 250-pound junior from Washington, D.C., was a second-team All-SEC selection a year ago after collecting four sacks and a dozen tackles for loss among his 33 stops. Regarded as one of the most explosive edge rushers in the country, Stewart enters his junior season with 11.0 career sacks and 22.5 tackles for loss.

Swain, a 6-0, 193-pound redshirt junior from Carrollton, Ga., was one of the nation’s top returners a season ago after returning a school-record three punts for touchdowns.  He averaged 15.9-yards on 19 punt returns with a long of 80 yards.

Harbor, a 6-5, 239-pound senior from Washington, D.C., averaged 22.0 yards on 11 kickoff returns in 2025. The explosive speedster who has been in the top three of Bruce Feldman’s “Freaks List” in each of the last three seasons, also averaged 20.6 yards per catch as a wide receiver a year ago, the third-best mark in school history.

Johnson, a 6-3, 241-pound junior from Norfolk, Va., has played in all 25 games over the past two seasons with a dozen starts, all coming during the 2025 campaign. He ranked third on the squad a year ago with 61 tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss, three pass breakups, a sack and four quarterback hurries.

The Gamecocks open the 2025 season on Sept. 5 when thy host Kent State in a 12:45 pm contest at Williams-Brice Stadium.

Gamecock season tickets are still available and start as low as $65 per game. Fans interested in season tickets should request more information from our team via this form to request more information. To check out what’s planned for the 2026 season, including theme days, visit the 2026 Football Hub.