South Carolina has a few players who could potentially hear their name called in the first round of the 2027 NFL Draft with a strong 2026 campaign in the garnet and black.
EDGE Dylan Stewart is viewed as one of the top prospects at his position heading into his junior season, as is offensive tackle Jacarrius Peak.
Recently, ESPN NFL Draft analysts Matt Miller and Jordan Reid ranked the top five players at each position for the 2027 NFL Draft and both Stewart and Peak made the cut.
Reid had Stewart as the No. 1 edge rusher prospect while Miller had the rising junior at No. 2 behind Texas' Colin Simmons.
In his two seasons at South Carolina, Stewart has logged 56 total tackles with 22.5 being for loss and 11 sacks. As a true freshman, Stewart tallied 6.5 sacks while he was credited with 12 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks this past season. He was limited by a back injury towards the end of the 2025 season, which also held him out of spring practice.
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As for Peak, Miller ranked the 6-foot-4, 305-pound offensive lineman as the No. 3 tackle prospect behind Texas' Trevor Goosby and LSU's Jordan Seaton. Reid placed Peak at No. 4 behind the two prospects mentioned above and Iowa's Trevor Lauck.
Peak spent the past four seasons at N.C. State before transferring to South Carolina following the 2025 season. Peak, who's played over 2,200 snaps in his career, has taken the field in 38 games, which includes 32 starts. The redshirt senior missed spring practice after suffering an injury playing basketball.
Peak was listed as the toughest player to rank at offensive tackle by Miller.
The South Carolina offensive line was a letdown last season, which is why Peak was brought in as a transfer after starting 33 games at left tackle at NC State. Peak's numbers are impressive -- he allowed only four sacks in those three seasons -- but there will be questions about play power. He's an agile blindside blocker who could get a bump based on experience, but his tape this season needs to show a knack for finishing that hasn't been present thus far.
LaNorris Sellers was not ranked in the top five at quarterback, but was listed as a player outside the top group to watch, according to Reid.
*Sellers was viewed as one of the top signal-callers in the country entering the 2025 season, but an inconsistent campaign resulted in him returning to the Gamecocks. With more up-front protection added through the transfer portal and a new offensive coordinator in Kendal Briles, Sellers' tools could shine in the team's new-look offense. Many scouts believe that Sellers has Round 1 tools but needs to show more consistency as a passer.*
In his two seasons as the Gamecocks' starting quarterback, Sellers has thrown for 4,971 yards, 31 touchdowns and 15 interceptions while rushing for 944 yards and 12 touchdowns.