Nick Emmanwori

* 2022-23 co-South Carolina Athletics Male Freshman of the Year
* 2022-23 SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll
* 2022 First-Team Freshman All-American (ESPN, PFF, On3)
* 2022 Second-Team Freshman All-American (CFN, The Athletic)
* 2022 First-Team Freshman All-SEC (Coaches)
* 2022 Co-Joe Morrison Award – MVP Defense
* 2022 Shawn Alexander Freshman of the Year Semifinalist

Sophomore safety who looks to build upon an outstanding freshman campaign in which he earned Freshman All-America honors… can play either safety position… has excellent size, willing to hit and will only get better as he continues to learn the nuances of the defense… looks to provide leadership… recognized as a co-winner of the University of South Carolina Athletics Male Freshman of the Year for 2022-23, along with baseball standout Ethan Petry.

2022 (Freshman)
True freshman safety who moved into the lineup replacing an injured R.J. Roderick in the first series of the season and remained in that role throughout the remainder of the season, starting the final 12 games… named to the ESPN.com, the PFF and the On3 True Freshman All-America team… named second-team Freshman All-American by CFN and The Athletic… became the first Gamecock to garner Freshman All-America honors since Dylan Wonnum in 2018 and the first defensive player since Jadeveon Clowney in 2011… earned a spot on the SEC Coaches All-Freshman squad… shared the Joe Morrison Defensive Team MVP award with Zacch Pickens… was a semifinalist for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award… led the team with 85 tackles… tied for 15th in the SEC with 6.5 tackles per game… credited with 62 solo stops, second in the SEC and the most among freshmen in the FBS… the last freshman to lead the Gamecocks in tackles was Skai Moore in 2013… became the first member of the freshman class of 2022 to earn a starting assignment when he got the call at Arkansas in Game 2… responded with 11 tackles, the first of his two games with double-figures in stops… posted a career-high 14 tackles, all solo stops, in the loss to No. 1 Georgia… It was the most tackles by a Gamecock since Ernest Jones collected 18 tackles at Ole Miss in 2020… had a tackle for loss versus Missouri… recovered the fumble in the waning minutes of the Clemson game, preserving the win… named to the SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll.

HIGH SCHOOL
Graduated from Irmo (S.C.) High School in 2022… played all over on defense, but primarily at middle linebacker… earned first-team All-State 4A honors… helped the Yellow Jackets reach the state semifinals as a senior… coached by Aaron Brand… selected for the Shrine Bowl and the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl… credited with 232 tackles, four sacks and eight forced fumbles as a senior… also played some receiver on offense, scoring a couple TDs… was an all-state selection as a junior when he collected 100 tackles, eight TFLs, two interceptions, a forced fumble and three sacks in nine games… ranked as the sixth-best player in the Palmetto State, the 58th-best safety in the country and No. 665 overall in the 247Sports Composite… rated the sixth-best player in the state and the 28th-best outside linebacker in the nation by Rivals.

PERSONAL
Nicholas Ovundah Eze Emmanwori was born Feb. 7, 2004… has not declared a major.