Ex-college teammates adjusting to NFL as part of Carolina Panthers’ draft class
The University of South Carolina has been labeled a football factory of sorts for the Carolina Panthers in recent years. So much so that the program’s prospects dubbed the NFL franchise the “South Carolina Panthers” during the school’s pro day in Columbia this past March.
But another SEC program has started to gain ground on the Gamecocks this offseason, as the Panthers spent three of their eight 2025 draft picks on members of the 2023 Florida Gators. While outside linebacker Princely Umanmielen and running back Trevor Etienne finished their college careers with other SEC programs, the duo — along with nose tackle Cam Jackson — spent multiple seasons in Gainesville, Florida.
Umanmielen, the Panthers’ third-round pick, was the first to be selected on draft weekend. On Day 3, Etienne was selected in the fourth round and Jackson was selected in the fifth round.
“Excited to get to reunite with Princely and Trevor again,” Jackson said following his draft selection in April. “And I know we’re (going) to come in and work and compete with each other.”
The three rookies have been able to get adjusted to the NFL landscape together since arriving in Charlotte in May.
Umanmielen, who played last season at Mississippi, has been able to get to know players in other position groups because of his relationships with Etienne and Jackson.
“It does make it a little easier because I already know those guys,” Umanmielen said during the offseason program. “So, if Trevor is talking to a guy that I don’t know, or Cam is talking to a guy I’m not too familiar with on the team, I just go in and talk with them, and now we’re all (gestures with locked hands) together. So, it makes it easier to build relationships around the building.”
Etienne, who spent two seasons at Florida before transferring to rival Georgia last year, has been able to find comfort in working with his old college teammates.
With the booming NIL landscape greatly affecting the transfer portal, college rookies are more accustomed to switching locker rooms than ever before. Still, the familiar faces can help them get situated at a quicker pace.
“Coming in with some guys that you’re familiar with, some guys you’ve already been in the locker room with, it’s great,” Etienne said during OTAs. “We have that (brotherhood), that bond since Florida, and that’s something that’ll never leave. That’s something that we built back in 2022. And I’m just glad to share the field with my brothers once again.”
Michael Tarquin, an undrafted offensive tackle, is also a former Gator. He played with Umanmielen and Etienne in 2022 before Jackson transferred from Memphis to Florida the following year. Tarquin spent his final two college seasons at Southern Cal and Oklahoma.
Umanmielen mentioned Tarquin as another familiar face whom he can count upon to break the ice with other position groups. The two former college teammates are also facing off with each other in practice. So, on both sides of the ball — with Tarquin and Etienne on offense and Jackson and Umanmielen on defense — the working relationships are there.
With the Panthers continuing to build their culture and locker room chemistry, having four rookies with comparable backgrounds and football educations can’t hurt. And while the Panthers didn’t go into their draft process looking to reunite a bunch of former college teammates, it’s not a bad thing to have some relationships established right off the bat.
Other noteworthy college connections on the Panthers’ roster:
▪ CB Jaycee Horn, RB Rico Dowdle, OLB D.J. Wonnum and WR Xavier Legette all played together at South Carolina in 2019. Legette played with undrafted rookie ILB Bam Martin-Scott from 2021 to 2023 in Columbia.
▪ QB Bryce Young and DE LaBryan Ray played together at Alabama, winning a College Football Playoff national championship together in 2020.
▪ LT Ikem Ekwonu and G Chandler Zavala were teammates on the same offensive line at N.C. State in 2021.
▪ WR Dan Chisena and DB Nick Scott were teammates at Penn State in 2018.
▪ TE Ja’Tavion Sanders and RB Jonathon Brooks (PUP) played together at Texas during their respective college careers.
▪ DT Bobby Brown III and DB Demani Richardson played together at Texas A&M from 2019 to 2020.
▪ OT Yosh Nijman and TE James Mitchell were on Virginia Tech’s 2018 squad together. Mitchell would later become teammates with OLB Amare Barno and RB Raheem Blackshear during his time with the Hokies. And before Blackshear transferred to Virginia Tech in 2020, he was a teammate of undrafted rookie running back Kayron Lynch-Adams at Rutgers in 2019.
This story was originally published July 7, 2025 at 5:30 AM.
