Dylan Stewart busted onto the SEC scene in a major way as a freshman. Will he continue to wreck shop in his sophomore campaign?
This summer leading up to the 2025 season, we’ll be exploring the top 10 offensive and defensive players Mizzou football is slated to face this fall. We’re not ranking them 1-10, so while Jalon Daniels is a very good player, he’s not necessarily the best offensive player Corey Batoon will have to game plan for this upcoming season.
This is the sixth of (you guessed it) 10 such posts of the season. If you haven’t yet, take a look at the previous TTOP articles:
- Jalon Daniels and Nikhai Hill-Green
- Nyck Harbor and Deontae Lawson
- John Mateer and Jordan Lawson
- Le’Veon Moss and Will Lee III
- Diego Pavia and Dean Miller
Kadyn Proctor
School: Alabama
Position: LT
Class: Junior
Height: 6-7
Weight: 360 lbs.
Hometown: Des Moines, Iowa
What he’s done
Few offensive linemen arrive in college with as much fanfare as Kadyn Proctor. Even fewer deliver on that fanfare immediately. A five-star recruit out of Iowa, Proctor was rated as the No. 1 offensive tackle in the 2023 class and started every game as a true freshman for Alabama. For that feat, Proctor earned Freshman All-America honors and was named to the All-SEC Freshman Team, logging over 800 snaps at left tackle with just one sack allowed.
After a brief and widely publicized transfer to Iowa in January 2024, Proctor returned to Tuscaloosa that same spring. His sophomore campaign was even more dominant: he allowed zero sacks across 13 games and tallied 54 knockdown blocks. According to Pro Football Focus, he posted an 82.4 pass-blocking grade and a 79.1 run-blocking grade in 2024, ranking among the top tackles in the SEC.
Photo by Bryan Lynn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
What he’ll do
Proctor enters 2025 as a preseason All-American and a consensus top-10 NFL Draft pick in early mock drafts. He’s widely regarded as one of the best offensive linemen in college football. Now in his third year starting in the SEC, Proctor has both the physical tools and the high-level experience to dominate in a conference stacked with elite edge rushers.
He’ll be tasked with protecting Alabama’s next quarterback (presumably veteran backup Ty Simpson) and anchoring a line that will likely want to throw the ball around the yard under new coordinator Ryan Grubb. Expect Alabama to lean on Proctor as a tone-setter in the run game, particularly on outside zone and off-tackle power concepts, where his reach and drive-blocking skills can clear serious space.
Pass protection should remain a strength, especially with Proctor’s improving hand technique and recognition of stunts and blitzes. His 2025 campaign could solidify him as the first offensive lineman taken in the draft.
Mizzou Matchup
Missouri gets another shot at Proctor and Alabama when the Tide comes to Columbia in Week 6. For the Tigers, neutralizing Proctor will be less about beating him one-on-one and more about making sure he can’t dominate the game. To do so, Corey Batoon will need to get creative.
Alabama will likely run left behind Proctor early and often, so expect the Tigers to overload the weak side with run blitzes and hybrid looks. Bringing pressure from the second level, especially delayed blitzes from linebackers Triston Newson and Khalil Jacobs, could stress Alabama’s protection calls without directly engaging Proctor.
Mizzou should also look to shift their front pre-snap and run stunts away from Proctor’s side to attack the right side of Alabama’s line, which is less experienced, if not similarly talented. In short: you don’t stop Kadyn Proctor. But if Mizzou wants to contain Alabama’s offense, they’ll need to find ways to minimize his impact and avoid letting him dictate the line of scrimmage.
Photo by Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Dylan Stewart
School: South Carolina
Position: DE
Class: Sophomore
Height: 6-6
Weight: 248 lbs.
Hometown: Washington, DC
What he’s done
Shifting gears from a brick wall pass protector to a dynamic pass rusher, Dylan Stewart arrived in South Carolina 2024 as one of the highest-rated signees in Gamecock football history. A five-star recruit from Washington, DC, Stewart was ranked among the top 10 overall prospects in the nation and the No. 1 edge rusher by several recruiting services.
Stewart didn’t waste time proving he belonged in the upper echelon of SEC edge rushers. As a true freshman in 2024, he played in all 12 games, starting nine, and quickly emerged as a disruptive force on the edge. He totaled 6.5 sacks, 10.5 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries, earning SEC All-Freshman Team honors and Freshman All-America recognition. His combination of first-step explosiveness, length, and closing speed made him a problem for both tackles and tight ends in pass protection.
Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images
What he’ll do
In 2025, Stewart is expected to make the leap from standout freshman to full-blown SEC star. With another off-season of weight training, he’ll enter the fall as one of the top returning edge rushers in the league and a likely preseason All-SEC selection.
With the Gamecocks’ sack leader Kyle Kennard lost to the NFL draft, Stewart’s role should expand even further in 2025. Expect him to line up not just in a traditional 4-3 defensive end spot, but also as a stand-up rusher in hybrid fronts. With his frame and explosiveness, Stewart has the potential to post double-digit sacks and play his way into the 2026 first-round draft conversation. He’ll need to continue improving against the run and in setting the edge, but his natural tools and work ethic suggest a breakout sophomore campaign is coming.
Mizzou Matchup
The Tigers did a remarkably good job controlling Stewart in their 2024 match up with South Carolina, holding him without any tackles. This was largely due to an effective running game led by Nate Noel, but Armand Membou and Marcus Bryant did a great job keeping him out of the backfield on passing downs as well.
As when dealing with any team with a dangerous pass rusher, Kirby Moore may lean on quick game concepts like screens, slants, and RPOs to get the ball out fast and avoid letting Stewart get into a rhythm. Stewart will most likely line up primarily off the right edge, meaning whoever ultimately wins the left tackle job will be under the microscope. Help will be necessary on Stewart, so expect an extra tight end to stay in and chip on most passing downs.
Missouri most likely won’t repeat what they did last year and eliminate Stewart entirely, but if they can minimize his impact with tempo, misdirection, and smart protection calls, they’ll give themselves a chance to stay ahead of the chains and out of obvious passing downs where he can pin back his ears.