A former Lexington County football star will get the chance to play on the biggest stage of the game. 

Former Irmo and Gamecock football standout Nick Emmanwori was selected in the second round with the 35th overall pick by the Seattle Seahawks. Emmanwori was the first of five Gamecocks taken in the draft and one of three selected in the second round. 

Emmanwori started 36 of 37 games over three seasons at South Carolina. He ended his career with  244 career tackles and six interceptions, including two returned for a touchdown. He was also a Freshman All-American in 2022 and a First-Team All-American in 2024. 

Last season, Emmanwori led the Gamecocks in tackles with 88. He was just one of the players to have multiple pick-sixes last season and ranked in the top 10 for interception return yards.

At Irmo, Emmanwori played under current head coach Aaron Brand. He was a multiple-time All-State selection and played all over the defensive field. He helped lead Irmo to the state semifinals as a senior and earned spots at the Shrine Bowl and the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl. 

After being selected by Seattle, Emmanwori said he was happy with his landing spot, noting the connections he was able to make during his visit. 

“It felt great when I went up there for the visit,” he said. “I talked to the coaches and had a great visit. I felt the most connected with them. If there was anybody to do it, I knew it would be them."

Emmanwori also said he felt like he should’ve been selected higher in the first round. His stock has only risen since he officially declared for the draft. He received a lot of attention during the NFL combine after an impressive display of athleticism with a 4.38 40-yard dash, the best time for any safety, a 43-inch vertical leap and an 11-foot-6-inch broad jump. 

"I had higher expectations for myself as far as going in the first, but God had other plans and a different path for me,” he said. “At the end of the day, it doesn't matter, but I'm going to make them all pay for that, for sure."

While he wasn’t selected where he wanted, Emmanwori is ready to show the 31 other teams in the NFL they missed out. 

"I was already entering the league with something on my mind," Emmanwori said. "Like a goal I had or a vision I had or a little chip. But now everybody is on my list. Everybody is on my list right now."

Other Gamecocks selected in the NFL draft and undrafted free agents 

T.J. Sanders - Buffalo Bills - Pick 41 (2nd)

Demetrius Knight - Cincinnati Bengals - Pick 49 (2nd)

Kyle Kennard - Los Angeles Chargers - Pick 125 (4th)

Tonka Hemingway - Las Vegas Raiders - Pick 135 (4th)

Gage Larvadain - Cleveland Browns - UDFA

Alex Huntley - Miami Dolphins - UDFA

Torricelli Simpkins III - New Orleans Saints - UDFA

Bam Martin-Scott - Carolina Panthers - UDFA

Joshua Simon - Atlanta Falcons - UDFA

Rocket Sanders - Los Angeles Chargers - UDFA