COLUMBIA — South Carolina football has had 35 defensive backs taken in the NFL draft.
Now two more are hoping they will be added to that list.
Brandon Cisse and Jalon Kilgore are projected to be second- or third-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft. This would mark the ninth straight year with Gamecocks players drafted.
South Carolina went 4-8 in 2025, its worst season under coach Shane Beamer, but the defense was often a bright spot as the offense struggled.
Round 1 of the draft is on April 23 at 8 p.m. ET in Pittsburgh and is airing on ESPN, ABC and NFL Network.
Cisse spent one season with the Gamecocks, transferring after two season at NC State. At South Carolina, the cornerback had 19 solo tackles, seven pass breakups, five passes defended, one forced fumble and one interception.
Kilgore spent three seasons with Beamer, mainly playing nickel after starting his career on special teams. In his Gamecocks career, he had 109 solo tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, eight interceptions, 21 pass breakups and 29 passes defended.
Round 2, No. 43 to Miami Dolphins - ESPN's Jordan Reid
Round 2, No. 40 to the Kansas City Chiefs - The Athletic
Round 3, No. 87 to Miami Dolphins - ESPN's Jordan Reid
Round 3, No. 71 to Washington Commanders - NFL. com
Round 2, No. 60 to the Chicago Bears - The Athletic
Four players were invited to the combine this year, including Cisse and Kilgore. The other two were running back Rahsul Faison and defensive lineman Nick Barrett.
Faison is a Round 6 projection though he's only been listed on one major mock draft so far, going in the final round with pick No. 249 to the Indianapolis Colts by NFL.com.
Faison, 26, spent one season with the Gamecocks where he logged 470 yards on 96 carries with three touchdowns. He's 6-foot and has 2,315 total rushing yards and 16 touchdowns across three college seasons, including two at Utah State.
Barrett is projected to go No. 119 overall to the Carolina Panthers in Round 4 by The Athletic but is not listed in other mock drafts.
Barrett had 27 solo tackles and two sacks in 2025. Across four seasons with the Gamecocks he had 72 total tackles, three passes defended, two sacks and one interception.
The South Carolina record is nine players selected in 1954, but since the draft was cut to seven rounds the most is seven in 2009 and 2013.
In 2025, defensive coordinator Clayton White saw five defensive players taken in the draft, the most in program history. Last year also marked the first time South Carolina had five players selected in the first four rounds.
Since Beamer took over in 2020, 17 players have been selected, which marks the most under one coach in program history.