Four South Carolina standouts make Mel Kiper's updated NFL Draft positional top 10 lists

The 2026 NFL Draft will be an interesting one to monitor for South Carolina football fans. Just like last offseason, the Gamecocks will have a fair number of players drawing significant buzz from professional organizations.

However, unlike last year, some of USC’s top pro prospects have remaining eligibility.

This week, ESPN’s Mel Kiper updated his 2026 NFL Draft Big Board and positional rankings. With that, he included four South Carolina underclassmen among the top 10 draft-eligible players at their positions.

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First, Kiper placed quarterback LaNorris Sellers at No. 4 among all quarterback prospects. That is also good for No. 21 overall, firmly in first-round territory. Previously, Kiper argued that Sellers should be the No. 1 overall pick in next April’s draft. Now, the long-time draft guru slots the Gamecock QB in the back half of the first round. He trails only Oregon’s Dante Moore, Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, and Alabama’s Ty Simpson. As a redshirt sophomore, he has up to two more years of eligibility remaining.

Also at No. 4, defensive back Brandon Cisse earned the ranking at the cornerback position. Primarily playing out wide for the Gamecocks, Cisse also has nickel experience, adding to his draft intrigue. He has been, arguably, the top transfer portal addition from this past offseason for Shane Beamer’s team. Cisse is behind just Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy, Clemson’s Avieon Terrell, and LSU’s Mansoor Delane. The junior has another year available to him if he foregoes the draft.

One of the biggest wildcards for April’s draft is wide receiver Nyck Harbor. He is No. 9 for Kiper among receiver prospects but has the physical traits that have some predicting a jump into the first round. Harbor’s stats haven’t looked like a top-32 pick, but he is relatively new to the position and has the best size-speed combo in the country. The NFL is extremely high on his potential. Southern Cal’s Makai Lemon, Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson, Ohio State’s Carnell Tate, Georgia’s Zachariah Branch, Southern Cal’s Ja’Kobi Lane, Tennessee’s Chris Brazzell II, Alabama’s Germie Bernard, and Louisville’s Chris Bell rank ahead of Harbor at the time of this writing. He is a true junior with one more year of eligibility remaining.

Versatile defensive back Jalon Kilgore ranks ninth on Kiper’s safety list. His versatility has NFL scouts intrigued by the possibility of him playing safety, corner, or nickel. He led the SEC in interceptions as a sophomore in 2024 and has had a solid fall so far in 2025. Some outlets have projected him in the first or second round. Currently, Kilgore trails Ohio State’s Caleb Downs, Alabama’s Bray Hubbard, Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman, Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Southern Cal’s Kamari Ramsey, Penn State’s Zakee Wheatley, Maryland’s Jalen Juskey, and Arizona’s Genesis Smith. He could return in 2026 if he so chooses.

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Other Gamecocks on other outlets’ 2026 NFL Draft radar include players like senior running back Rahsul Faison, junior cornerback Judge Collier, senior EDGE Bryan Thomas Jr., senior defensive tackle Nick Barrett, and redshirt junior Gabe Brownlow-Dindy.

The 2026 NFL Draft will be in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from April 23rd to April 25th.

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