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South Carolina's Nick Emmanwori runs blazing 40-yard dash, logs best jumps at NFL Combine

by: Kevin Miller02/28/25kevinbmiller52
South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori (Katie Dugan/GamecockCentral)
South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori (Katie Dugan/GamecockCentral)

Heading into the 2025 NFL Combine, South Carolina All-American safety Nick Emmanwori has been among the most talked-about players. Already viewed by some as a first-round pick this spring, most expected Emmanwori to perform very well at the combine, especially with his athletic testing numbers. On Friday, he did not disappoint.

Despite measuring in at 6-3 and 220 pounds, Nick Emmanwori clocked a 4.38. That time was the second fastest among all safeties.

About a week before the combine, The Athletic writer Bruce Feldman called Emmanwori his top “Freak to Watch” at this year’s event. Feldman predicted the former Gamecock would run around a 4.35 in the 40-yard dash. Emmanwori didn’t reach that mark but came close.

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Along with his elite sprint speed, Emmanwori posted some other impressive numbers on Saturday. He logged an 11-6 broad jump and a 43-inch vertical on Friday afternoon, as well. As of now, both numbers were the best among all players at the 2025 NFL Combine. His broad jump is the second-best by a safety weighing at least 220 pounds since 2003. Only ten players in the history of the NFL’s modern monitoring of broad jumps have reached that 11-6 number.

Those numbers registered even better than Feldman’s predictions for Emmanwori. Following conversations with sources near the South Carolina football program, he viewed Emmanwori’s likely numbers to be around 11-4 (broad jump), 42 inches (vertical), and 24 reps (225 bench press). While he hasn’t benched yet (he will Saturday), Emmanwori has surpassed those expectations.

With his time in Indianapolis coming to a close, Emmanwori’s attention will turn to the first round of the NFL Draft. If selected in the first 32 picks, he would become the second USC safety taken that high in the draft’s history. In 1979, combo corner/safety Rick Sanford went 25th overall to the New England Patriots where he was a full-time safety.

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