LaFayette Stewart Jr.

LaFayette Stewart Jr. enters his first season as the Director of Recruiting on defense for the University of South Carolina football program in 2026.

Stewart comes to Columbia from NC State, where he spent two seasons as the Assistant Director of Recruiting for the Wolfpack. Before his time in Raleigh, Stewart worked in the recruiting and player development roles at UNC Charlotte.

Stewart spent 14 years coaching football in the South Carolina High School League, serving programs in both the Upstate and Midlands regions of South Carolina.

A native of North Augusta, South Carolina, Stewart is a 2002 graduate of North Augusta High School, where he excelled as a student-athlete. During his senior season in 2001, he was an All-State pick and selected to participate in the North/South SCADA All-Star Game.

After graduating from North Augusta High School, Stewart continued his football career at Carson-Newman College, where he played football and earned his degree in Business Administration in 2007. During his tenure at Carson-Newman, he was part of teams that captured several South Atlantic Conference championships.

Stewart and his wife, Anya Stewart, have two children, LaFayette A.  Stewart III, “Tripp,” and Coleman Stewart.