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South Carolina underclassmen are names to watch for NFL Draft

by: Kevin Miller06/12/25kevinbmiller52
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Pictured: Jalon Kilgore (Photo Credit: CJ Driggers | GamecockCentral.com)

South Carolina football had five players selected in this spring’s NFL Draft. Of those five, only defensive back Nick Emmanwori and defensive lineman TJ Sanders had eligibility remaining at the college level. For the 2026 draft, at least two more Gamecock underclassmen are names to watch.

According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), LaNorris Sellers is one of five quarterbacks in college football who could leave college early for the NFL, and defensive back Jalon Kilgore is one of five underclassmen corners to watch.*

*Kilgore is listed as a corner because the majority of his snaps have been at nickel. However, some in the NFL world believe he could play corner at the next level despite his background as a safety.*

Said PFF about Sellers: “Sellers possesses no shortage of NFL ability in his arm or legs. He’s listed at 6-foot-3 and 240 pounds and earned a 73.8 PFF rushing grade with 47 missed tackles forced. His passing ratio does need to improve after he logged 19 turnover-worthy plays and 16 big-time throws in 2024.”

And about Kilgore: “Kilgore played 434 coverage snaps last year, the most among South Carolina’s cornerbacks. He earned just a 66.7 PFF coverage grade after giving up three touchdowns, but he did snag five interceptions and force five more incompletions.”

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Sellers enters his second year as a starter as one of the most dynamic players at his position in the country. The redshirt sophomore undoubtedly will command the attention of every opposing defensive coordinator this fall. If he can produce like he did last November (when he posted the best single-month performance in South Carolina history), Sellers will be right in the thick of the Heisman Trophy race and will have his Gamecocks competing for a berth in the College Football Playoff field. It will be difficult to imagine that the NFL doesn’t come calling in that scenario.

Kilgore appears poised to become the next Carolina defender to become a household name. Expected to start again at nickel, Kilgore will be one of the team’s top tacklers and playmakers in the passing game. Last year, he led the team in interceptions and was second among defensive backs in tackles. If he can build off of an All-SEC sophomore season, it will spell good things for the Gamecock defense. It also would be a boon to his NFL Draft stock.

Both Sellers and Kilgore have earned first-round grades this offseason. South Carolina hasn’t had multiple first-round picks in the same draft since 2012. That year, Stephon Gilmore (10th) and Melvin Ingram (18th) went to the Buffalo Bills and San Diego Chargers, respectively.

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