Top 10 NFL players from South Carolina in 2022
Several elite footballers have come through the South Carolina program in recent years and made it into the NFL.
The Gamecocks have never won a national championship at collegiate level, but have developed players of a high standard who have succeeded in the league. More recently, these stars have been on the defensive side of the ball. As of the start of the 2022 season, South Carolina has 29 total alumni active in the NFL.
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Below, we will rank this group of current alumni, deducing the order of the top 10 NFL players from South Carolina in 2022.
#10 Ernest Jones, LB, Los Angeles Rams
Ernest Jones arrived in the NFL only in 2021 with the Los Angeles Rams, playing as a middle linebacker through 2022. He just about sneaks into this list as a result of the potential he has shown.
Whilst not a guaranteed starter as a rookie, Jones still won a Super Bowl and is emerging as a starter in 2022. He had two interceptions and a sack in 2021. In the first six games of the 2022 season, he has one forced fumble and one successful pass defense.
Jones was so dominant in the Super Bowl last year that he is now seen as one of the best linebackers for the future. His athleticism makes it easy for him to cover ground across the middle of the field, and the Rams expect him to be a Pro Bowler in the future.
#9 Rashad Fenton, CB, Kansas City Chiefs
Rashad Fenton may seem like a strange choice on this list as he has only been a role player for most of his contract with the Kansas City Chiefs.
However, he is undoubtedly good at what he does. Playing at the cornerback position, Fenton has been a competent performer for the Chiefs as they have dominated teams over the last four seasons.
He has two career interceptions and 20 successful pass defenses. The 2022 season has seen a turning point in Fentonâs NFL career so far as he started Kansas Cityâs first five games. He recorded 18 solo tackles in those games and had two successful pass defenses.
#8 Hayden Hurst, TE, Cincinnati Bengals
Hayden Hurst never found it easy to settle with either the Baltimore Ravens or the Atlanta Falcons. However, the 2022 offseason saw him join the Cincinnati Bengals and he has been an ever-present tight end for them ever since.
In seven starts in 2022, Hurst has already amassed 39 targets and 29 receptions for 226 yards and also has two touchdowns. He is on course to have the best season of his post-South Carolina career.
One of the most important aspects of Hurstâs game has been his reliability on short completions. In an offense where Joe Burrow gets no protection from his offensive line, having Hurst on third down has been invaluable to the teamâs turnaround.
He has recorded 14 first downs in his 29 receptions, showing how vital he is to Burrow in the important moments.
#7 Ryan Succop, K, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
It may seem strange to place a kicker in a list of the top 10 NFL players from South Carolina at the moment. However, Ryan Succop is so talented that it would be plain wrong to ignore him here.
Succop is now in his 14th NFL season and has played every single game possible, aside from the 2019 season where he was limited to six appearances.
Reliability might as well be his middle name, as he is a guarantee with respect to field goals. In his 14 years, he has successfully converted 305 of his 365 field goals and has hit 454 of 472 extra-point attempts.
The 2022 NFL season has seen Succop lead the league. In a struggling Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense, the kicker has hit 16 of 17 field goals, including a season-long 54-yard attempt. He has also been 100% with regard to extra points.
#6 Javon Kinlaw, DT, San Francisco 49ers
Javon Kinlaw is a player with potential, but injuries have held him back since being drafted 14th in 2020.
Kinlaw has everything needed to be a leading defensive tackle. He's got a big body, nastiness in the tackle and the athleticism to make plays against the rush.
In 2020 he had a great rookie year, registering one interception and 1.5 sacks. His 15 solo tackles were an impressive return on what was a dominant San Francisco 49ers defense.
However, knee troubles have since derailed the former Gamecock. He played just four games in 2021 and has been placed on the IR after three starts in 2022.
Kinlaw's return will bolster a San Francisco defense that has led the league for much of 2022. His natural talent is exceptional, and you can expect him to place much higher on this list in 2023, provided he stays healthy.
#5 Jaycee Horn, CB, Carolina Panthers
Jaycee Horn was the latest defensive stud to be plucked from South Carolina when the Carolina Panthers kept him in the region by selecting him eighth in 2021.
Horn enjoyed a promising start to his rookie career, which included one interception and one successful pass defense. However, he then broke three bones in his foot which kept him out for the remainder of the season.
The 2022 NFL season has been promising for Horn so far, even though the Panthers have struggled. He has started five games, made one interception and had four successful pass defenses.
Potential is once again a keyword here. Horn needs to string together a run of games without injuries if he is to hit his maximum level and remain one of the top 10 NFL players from South Carolina.
#4 Melvin Ingram, LB, Miami Dolphins
Melvin Ingram was an athletic superstar when he came out of South Carolina. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.79 seconds, coming in at 6â2â and 264 lbs.
Ingram utilized these attributes in his early NFL career, blitzing the offensive line for the Los Angeles Chargers (formerly the San Diego Chargers). In nine full seasons in San Diego and Los Angeles, Ingram was a machine at getting to the quarterback, even from the outside linebacker position.
His best statistical seasons came in 2015 and 2017 as he registered 10.5 sacks in both campaigns. From 2017 to 2019 he was a guaranteed Pro Bowler, before age caught up with him.
Ingramâs explosive first-step deteriorated somewhat, and since turning 31 he only has six sacks. However, he remains one of the top 10 players to grace the NFL from South Carolina.
The current season gave him the chance to restart with the Miami Dolphins. In three starts, he has two sacks and nine solo tackles. Ingram is a guaranteed starter in Florida, but has a hamstring injury to overcome before he can continue harassing QBs.
#3 Jadeveon Clowney, DE, Cleveland Browns
Jadeveon Clowney is arguably the most talented player to ever emerge from the University of South Carolina. Ahead of the 2014 NFL Draft, he was the unanimous best talent in the nation and was duly selected first by the Houston Texans.
Clowney is one of only two South Carolina alumni to be selected with the first pick alongside legendary running back George Rogers from 1981.
Has Clowney hit the heights expected of him in the NFL? No. However, that doesnât mean he hasnât been one of the best defensive players around.
Pre-draft concerns about effort have proven valid as he has played all the games in only one season since 2014. However, he has been fairly reliable in getting to the QB off the edge.
Clowney has made the Pro Bowl on three occasions, although curiously that was during a spell in Houston where he played exclusively as a linebacker.
Two awful seasons with the Seattle Seahawks and the Tennessee Titans seemed to have signaled an end of Clowneyâs career in the NFL. However, signing with the Cleveland Browns has re-energized the former Gamecock.
He managed nine sacks in 2021, and already has 1.5 in four starts with the Browns in 2022.
#2 Stephon Gilmore, CB, Indianapolis Colts
Stephon Gilmore finishes as the runner-up on this list of the top 10 NFL players from South Carolina.
Expectations were high when he was drafted 10th in 2012, but it wasnât until he connected with Bill Belichick that he turned into a star.
In five seasons with the Buffalo Bills, he made just one Pro Bowl. However, in just four seasons with the New England Patriots, he became a three-time Pro Bowl selection and a Defensive Player of the Year winner. He was also a two-time All-Pro first-team selection.
This is quite the list of accolades and Gilmore was deserving of every single one. He led the league in both successful pass defenses and interceptions in 2019 with 20 and six, respectively.
A move to Carolina was followed by several injuries, but he still made the Pro Bowl in 2021.
His 2022 season, however, has started well. He has four successful pass defenses in seven starts for the Indianapolis Colts, in addition to recording 22 solo tackles.
Gilmore remains a legitimate star and Hall of Fame candidate. Only the presence of a generational offensive talent has kept him from taking the top spot on this list.
#1 Deebo Samuel, WR, San Francisco 49ers
Deebo Samuel leads the list of the top 10 players from South Carolina in the NFL in 2022 with good reason. There isnât a more explosive wide receiver than Samuel anywhere right now.
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The San Francisco 49ers have proven to be the perfect franchise for him to develop with. Kyle Shanahanâs scheme has seen Samuel explode as the best receiver in the NFL and one of the most productive rushers too.
In 2021 he had eight regular-season rushing touchdowns, setting an NFL record for the most by a wide receiver. Samuel is a complete football player. He has explosive speed, a dynamic body type and charisma oozing out of him.
The 2022 season has seen Samuel continue his imperious form and he is on course for a second successive Pro Bowl.