South Carolina football duo makes positional top five in ESPN's 2026 NFL Draft projection
South Carolina football did not have a first-round selection in the 2025 NFL Draft. That could be changing ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft. According to ESPN draft gurus Jordan Reid and Matt Miller, a pair of Gamecocks eligible for next April’s festivities should be considered among the very best players at their respective positions. Quarterback LaNorris Sellers and defensive back Jalon Kilgore earned spots on the ESPN duo’s “2026 NFL draft: Ranking top five prospects at every position” list.
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Sellers made the cut for both Reid and Miller. Reid ranked the redshirt sophomore signal-caller as the No. 2 QB in next year’s draft. Miller ranked him at No. 4. Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik was ahead of Sellers on both lists. Miller also put LSU redshirt senior Garrett Nussmeier and Indiana redshirt junior Fernando Mendoza ahead of Sellers. No. 16 still has two more years of eligibility remaining after 2025 if he chooses to use them.
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Kilgore, a multi-positional secondary player for South Carolina, was No. 4 among safeties for Reid. Miller left him off the list completely. According to Reid, only Ohio State’s Caleb Downs, Southern Cal’s Kamari Ramsey, and Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman are ahead of Kilgore in college football’s safety hierarchy. Primarily a nickel with the Gamecocks, Kilgore has gotten safety reps in Columbia and has even drawn NFL interest at the cornerback position. He has another year of eligibility beyond 2025 if he elects not to enter the draft.
Both Sellers and Kilgore were All-SEC performers in 2024. Sellers won multiple SEC Freshmen of the Year honors and helped rewrite the South Carolina football record books after an all-time great November. Kilgore tied for the SEC lead in interceptions. Understandably, the Gamecock stars have been all over NFL Draft projections for next spring.