WATCH: Five Gamecocks selected in 2025 NFL Draft
It was a historic 2025 for Gamecock football. For the first time in program history, five players were drafted in the first four rounds of the NFL draft.
Here’s more on all five Gamecocks drafted:
Nick Emmanwori was selected by the Seattle Seahawks with the third pick in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft on Friday night. He was the first Gamecock player taken in the 2025 draft and the 35th player selected overall.
Emmanwori, a 6-3, 222-pounder from Irmo, S.C., started 36 of 37 games over three seasons for the Gamecocks. A Freshman All-American in 2022 and a First-Team All-American in 2024, Emmanwori was credited with 244 career tackles and six interceptions, returning two for touchdowns.
In 2024, Emmanwori earned first-team All-America honors according to AP, Sporting News, Reese’s Senior Bowl and College FB Nation, and was a second-team selection by FWAA, SI.com, CBS Sports and Phil Steele. He was a unanimous first-team All-SEC selection and was one of three players named the Joe Morrison MVP for defense. In addition, he was a finalist for the 2024 Blanchard-Rogers Trophy, a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award and a quarterfinalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy.
T.J. Sanders was selected by the Buffalo Bills with the ninth pick in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft on Friday. He was the 41st player selected overall.
Sanders, a 6-3 5/8, 305-pounder from Marion, S.C., spent four seasons in the Carolina program. He appeared in 39 games with 16 career starts. He logged 109 tackles with 17.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks.
In 2024, Sanders appeared in all 13 games making nine starts. College Football Nation tabbed him as a first-team All-SEC performer and a third-team All-American while selecting him as the SEC’s Interior Defender of the Year. He was named to the second-team All-SEC squad by the AP and Phil Steele. He finished fifth on the squad and led the defensive lineman with 50 tackles including 7.0 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks. He was also credited with six quarterback hurries and one pass breakup.
Demetrius Knight Jr. was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals with the 17th pick in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft on Friday. He was 49th player taken overall.
Knight Jr., a 6-1 3/4, 236-pounder from Locust Grove, Ga., spent his final season with the Gamecocks after four years at Georgia Tech and one at Charlotte. He appeared in 61 games overall with 22 starts while collecting 229 career tackles. He earned first-team all-conference honors in 2023 in his lone season with the 49ers.
In 2024, Knight Jr. quickly established himself as a team leader and was named a Rex Enright Team Captain, the Most Outstanding Senior and one of three players named the Joe Morrison MVP for the defense. He also was recognized by the coaches as one of three players for the Strength and Conditioning Award and shared the Nutrition Award with Raheim Sanders.
In his lone season with the Garnet & Black, Knight Jr. was second on the team with 82 tackles including 57 solo stops. He logged 8.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks and added three forced fumbles and an interception. He reached double-figures in tackles on three occasions, logging a season-best 11 stops in back-to-back games against Oklahoma and Texas A&M and another 10 in the win at Clemson. Knight Jr. sealed the 17-14 win in the regular-season finale over Clemson with an interception on the Tigers’ final drive.
University of South Carolina Edge rusher Kyle Kennard was selected by the Los Angeles Chargers with the 23rd pick in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft on Saturday. He was 125th player taken overall.
Kennard, a 6-4 1/8, 262-pounder from Atlanta, Ga., spent four years at Georgia Tech before finishing up his collegiate career at South Carolina. Over the five-year span he played in 54 contests making 32 starts. He was credited with 143 career tackles with 37.0 tackles for loss and 24.0 sacks.
Kennard transferred to South Carolina in 2024 and produced one of the most decorated seasons in Gamecock Football. He became the first Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner in school history. He also captured the Blanchard-Rogers Trophy as the top college player in the state of South Carolina and was a finalist for the Lombardi Award, the Chuck Bednarik Award and Walter Camp Player of the Year. He was named first-team All-America by AFCA, Walter Camp, FWAA, SI.com, Reese’s Senior Bowl, and Phil Steele and was a second-team selection by the AP, Sporting News, CBS Sports and ESPN. He captured both the Coaches and the AP’s SEC Defensive Player of the Year Award. He was one of three players cited as the Joe Morrison MVP for the Carolina defense.
Tonka Hemingway was selected by the Las Vegas Raiders with the 33rd pick in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft on Saturday. He was the 135th player taken overall.
Hemingway, a 6-2 7/8, 282-pounder from Conway, S.C, spent five seasons in Columbia, appearing in all 61 games, starting 28, during that span, matching Kai Kroeger for the most games played in school history. He logged 17.5 career tackles for loss with 9.5 sacks, 11 pass breakups, 19 quarterback hurries and six fumble recoveries. He scored two touchdowns and scored on a two-point conversion.
In 2024, Hemingway was recognized as a third-team All-SEC performer by College Football Nation. He was selected by the coaches as a co-winner of the Community Service Award and was named the first recipient of the Ray Tanner Award.
On the field, Hemingway was credited with 25 tackles including 4.0 tackles for loss, all sacks, during his final campaign. He added six quarterback hurries, two fumble recoveries, a pass breakup and a forced fumble. He earned SEC co-Defensive Lineman of the Week honors for his efforts at Oklahoma where he logged a pair of stops including a tackle for loss and returned a fumble 36 yards to paydirt.
