South Carolina football: Kingsley Enagbare moving up draft boards

South Carolina football boasts a top five defense through two games of the year, having held its opponents to an average of 186 yards and 8.5 points per contest. That strong defensive performance is the reason for the Gamecocks’ 2-0 start, as the offense sputtered a bit last week against East Carolina.

One of the biggest contributors thus far is senior edge rusher Kingsley Enagbare, who’s tied for the team lead in sacks. He tallied two quarterback takedowns last weekend, leading a five-sack night for the Gamecocks’ defensive line.

That great start to the season hasn’t gone unnoticed.

CBS Sports recently released an updated mock for next year’s NFL Draft, and they’re projecting that the program sees a defender taken in the first round for a third straight season. Enagbare’s name came up at No. 10, where’s selected by the Atlanta Falcons.

Here’s what the site had to say about the South Carolina pass rusher.

"The Falcons couldn’t muster much of anything in Sunday’s loss to the Eagles, and targeting a quarterback here might make some sense, but instead we have them bolstering a defense that has been problematic for several seasons now. Enagbare is a twitchy edge rusher who uses speed and power to get into the backfield."

South Carolina football boasts top 10 pick.

Enagbare started showing up as a potential first-round pick over the offseason, typically landing as a mid- to late-round pick.

The lineman has 80 tackles to his name as a Gamecock, 19 of which have come behind the line of scrimmage. He’s also recorded 12 sacks in that time, with season totals increasing each year he’s been with the team.

Should Enagbare be chosen on day one, he’d become the third defensive player from South Carolina taken in as many years. Last year, we saw cornerback Jaycee Horn selected eighth by the Carolina Panthers, becoming the first defender off the board. The year prior, Javon Kinlaw was taken 14th by the San Francisco 49ers.

The Gamecocks will need Enagbare to continue performing at a high level, starting this week when they travel to Sanford Stadium to take on the Georgia Bulldogs. South Carolina opened the week as 30.5-point underdogs, and with the Bulldogs’ strong defense, points may be tough to come by. Getting pressure on the quarterback will be key, and Enagbare will be a major part of that. Forcing some bad decisions could give the Gamecocks a chance.

A great performance this weekend could continue boosting Enagbare’s draft stock.