Gamecocks prospects wouldn’t mind joining Horn and Legette on ‘South Carolina Panthers’
The Carolina Panthers were well-represented Tuesday in Columbia as the South Carolina Gamecocks hosted the program’s annual football pro day at the Jerri and Steve Spurrier Indoor Practice Facility.
The Panthers’ turnout, headlined by general manager Dan Morgan, newly hired outside linebackers coach AC Carter, inside linebackers Pete Hansen and defensive line coach Todd Wash, was understandable given the team’s history with the program, particularly in recent memory.
The Panthers have spent two first-round picks in the NFL draft on South Carolina prospects, Jaycee Horn (2021) and Xavier Legette (2024), in just the past five years. Since 2009, the team has drafted six former Gamecocks standouts in total.
So, naturally, the Panthers would go back to the well to see if there is more be gained from the program roughly 100 miles down the road.
Nick Emmanwori: ‘Hopefully they can pick me up, too’
South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori is considered the headliner of this year’s draft class for the Gamecocks. The athletic defensive back blew up the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis last month, putting out a highlight reel of athletic feats and racking up eye-opening numbers.
Now being considered a potential top-20 selection in April, Emmanwori wasn’t shy about his desire to stay close to home. The Columbia native, who remains good friends with Horn and Legette, knows the Gamecocks ties run deep with the Panthers, and he wouldn’t mind joining that legacy line.
“X and Jaycee, those are my guys, I talk to them almost every other week, every month,” Emmanwori said following Tuesday’s drills. “The Panthers, man, they have a huge impact on us down here. They just got (running back) Rico Dowdle, so they building a Gamecock squad. Hopefully they can pick me up, too.”
During the pro day, Emmanwori sat on his impressive combine numbers — including a blazing 4.38-second 40-yard dash, a 43-inch vertical leap and an 11-foot, 6-inch broad jump — but took part in defensive back drills. He looked smooth breaking on the ball in space, right in front of Morgan and the large scouting group representing Panthers, which included director of player personnel Cole Spencer and director of college scouting Jared Kirksey.
According to the team’s own accounting, the Panthers have had 22 former Gamecocks play regular-season games for them throughout their 30-year history. Emmanwori, clearly, wouldn’t mind joining Dowdle in adding to that number this season and beyond.
The Panthers only have two safeties on their roster at the moment.
Despite giving free-agent safety Tre’von Moehrig a big three-year contract, the team still has quite a bit of work to do. And teaming Moehrig with an athletic freak like Emmanwori could appeal heavily to Morgan, head coach Dave Canales and defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero.
Plus, Emmanwori could receive mentorship (and perhaps more) from Horn, who just received a four-year, $100 million contract extension last week.
“I talked to him right after he signed,” Emmanwori said with a big smile. “I said, ‘Dinner’s on you.’”
Gamecocks LBs know all about ‘South Carolina Panthers’
Hansen and assistant linebackers coach Mayur Chaudhari ran the position drills for Gamecocks linebackers Demetrius Knight Jr., Debo Williams and Bam Martin-Scott on Tuesday.
Hansen, a towering presence, guided the trio through the process, as Chaudhari ran demo drills to show each prospect how to attack the reps. Knight, one of the more prominent prospects for the program, did a good job of moving freely in space. The former Charlotte 49ers linebacker is considered a Day 2 prospect by several analysts.
Getting the in-person work with Hansen and Chaudhari could only help Knight’s chances of being considered by the Panthers. Knight appreciated the tips offered by the veteran NFL assistants.
“You can definitely take away some things that you can add to your game, like always finishing, which is second nature,” Knight said. “But being able to keep your feet as a linebacker. Things might not always go right when you play, but get up and keep going.”
Williams, a Smyrna, Delaware, native, was in a jovial mood at the workout. He joked about the history between the Panthers and the Gamecocks when asked about the several coaches and scouts in attendance.
“You said the South Carolina Panthers?” Williams said with a laugh. “I’m messing with you. Man, it was great having (Hansen) here, putting us through linebacker drills specifically, so it was awesome.”
Like Emmanwori, Williams has kept track of the former Gamecocks in Charlotte.
“I congratulated Jaycee Horn on what he was able to do,” Williams said. “So, we’ll keep it going”
South Carolina pro day: By the numbers
The South Carolina program released consensus numbers for the program’s workout a couple of hours after the conclusion of the pro day.
▪ There were 68 total evaluators in attendance at the pro day. All 32 NFL teams was represented, along with two teams from the Canadian Football League.
▪ Running back Raheim “Rocket” Sanders, who took part in the combine and the Shrine Bowl this spring, posted a 10-foot broad jump. Sanders also noted the importance of his performance as a receiver in team drills. The 5-11, 217-pound playmaker produced 881 rushing yards, 316 receiving yards and 13 total touchdowns in his lone year with the program.
▪ Cornerback O’Donnell Fortune, the defensive MVP of this year’s Shrine Game, didn’t run a 40-yard dash at the combine. He did run on Tuesday, registering a 4.58-second time, according to the program.
▪ According to the program, Williams — a 6-foot, 225-pound linebacker — did 32 reps on the bench press. Williams spent four seasons at South Carolina after transferring from Delaware in 2021. He produced 138 tackles (19 for loss), three sacks and four pass breakups during his college career. Along with his bench press numbers, Williams had a 9-foot, 4-inch broad jump and a 4.87-second 40-yard dash.
▪ Wideout Gage Larvadain, who measured at as 5-8 and 171 pounds, posted a 38.5-inch vertical jump and a 4.45-second 40-yard dash, according to the program. Larvadain caught 19 passes for 223 yards and a touchdown after transferring from Miami (Ohio) this past year.
▪ Running back Juju McDowell, who measured in at 5-7 and 182 pounds, had a 4.23-second short shuttle and a 7.08-second three-cone drill, according the team release. In four seasons at South Carolina, McDowell collected 621 rushing yards, 366 receiving yards and nine total touchdowns.
Panthers-related quick hits
▪ The Panthers announced Tuesday that the team agreed to terms with veteran wideout David Moore on a one-year deal. Moore served as a somewhat unsung hero for the team during the second half of last season. He finished his first campaign in Carolina with 32 catches for 351 yards and three touchdowns. He joins Legette, Adam Thielen, Jalen Coker and recently re-signed special teams ace Dan Chisena at the top the wide receiver depth chart.
▪ The Panthers recently agreed to a reworked contract with backup offensive tackle Yosh Nijman, a league source told The Observer on Tuesday. Nijman signed a two-year, $8 million deal with the Panthers last offseason. The newly restructured deal still expires in 2026 but will save the Panthers roughly $1.6 million in salary cap space. The Panthers wanted to keep Nijman, even after bringing back Swiss Army knife lineman Brady Christensen on a one-year deal. Nijman will compete for a backup spot and can earn playing time incentives by being active on the game-day roster on Sundays.
▪ Wash, entering his third season at the Panthers’ defensive line coach, watched Gamecocks defenders like Kyle Kennard, T.J. Johnson and Tonka Hemingway during their position drills. All three previously tested at the combine last month.
▪ Along with the heavy Panthers group at the Gamecocks’ pro day, Buffalo Bills GM Brandon Beane, a former Carolina scouting exec, and Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, the former head coach of the Chicago Bears, were also in attendance.
This story was originally published March 18, 2025 at 3:43 PM.
