South Carolina puts five in Mel Kiper's latest NFL Draft positional rankings

Following a 3-7 start to the 2025 season, many South Carolina football fans have turned their attention to the offseason. Coaching staff changes, transfer portal recruiting, and Williams-Brice Stadium renovations are at the forefront of those thoughts. Another major storyline for the Gamecocks will be the 2026 NFL Draft.

Shane Beamer’s team has several players, both seniors and underclassmen, drawing significant professional interest. Recently, ESPN’s Mel Kiper updated his positional rankings ahead of April’s draft, and five Gamecocks were part of the discussion.

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Three South Carolina standouts earned spots among their positional top 10. Two others made Kiper’s honorable mention (labeled “just missed”) list.

First, at the quarterback position, LaNorris Sellers slotted in at No. 4. The redshirt sophomore was Kiper’s No. 21 overall prospect, as well. With other draft experts not as high on Sellers’s stock following an up-and-down 2025 campaign, he is considering a return to school. Still, all it takes is one team to like the Gamecock QB in the first round, and a projected early selection would be hard to pass up for Sellers. Only Oregon’s Dante Moore, Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, and Alabama’s Ty Simpson are ahead of him.

Cornerback Brandon Cisse has flown up draft boards this season, and he sits at No. 4 among all draft-eligible corners for Kiper. His quick-twitch athleticism, sticky coverage skills, and versatility (he can also play in the slot) make him an intriguing professional prospect. He has another year of eligibility remaining. Only Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy, Mississippi State’s Kelley Jones, and Clemson’s Avieon Terrell rank ahead of Cisse.

Coming in on the safety list, Jalon Kilgore is No. 8. The Gamecock nickel has scouts split on his positional future (safety, nickel, or even corner). Like Cisse, he is a true junior with an additional collegiate year available to him. Ohio State’s Caleb Downs, Pittsburgh’s Kyle Louis, Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman, Alabama’s Bray Hubbard, Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Southern Cal’s Kamari Ramsey, and Penn State’s Zakee Wheatley are in front of Kilgore.

Nyck Harbor didn’t make the wide receiver ranking, but Kiper mentioned him as one of 18 total receivers, including both his top 10 and his “just missed” group. The 6-5, 235-pound speedster is the most impressive combination of size, speed, and high-point ability in the country. The junior has first-round upside and could use a final year of college ball to reach that potential.

14 total defensive tackles made Kiper’s story, and South Carolina’s Nick Barrett was one of them. An NFL afterthought this time a year ago, he has played himself into draft conversations. Barrett redshirted in 2024 behind four NFL tackles (TJ Sanders, Tonka Hemingway, Boogie Huntley, and DeAndre Jules), and the senior has made the most of the extra opportunity.

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Gamecock defensive back/punt returner Vicari Swain and defensive tackle Gabe Brownlow-Dindy have been included in a number of NFL Draft projections. Both players could return to Columbia for another year, too.

A long list of others on the South Carolina roster have low-end draft hype or undrafted free agent projections.

Next spring’s NFL Draft will take place from April 23rd through April 25th in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

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