PFF names South Carolina football star as top-5 prospect for 2025 NFL Draft

Among the deepest position groups on the 2024 version of the South Carolina football team can be seen at defensive tackle. The Gamecocks returned four veterans from last year's team, including redshirt seniors Tonka Hemingway and Boogie Huntley, true senior Nick Barrett, and redshirt junior TJ Sanders. They also brought in two potential contributors from the transfer portal in DeAndre Jules (Pittsburgh Panthers) and Monkell Goodwine (Alabama Crimson Tide) and added 4-star junior college nose tackle Jerome Simmons (Highland Community College Scotties).

Those seven players should get almost every snap at the position this fall, and when defensive coordinator Clayton White utilizes the 3-3-5 base defense, Hemingway and Sanders will play some as big defensive ends, as well.

The two players from the defensive tackle room who have gotten the most offseason love are Hemingway and Sanders, and one of them recently received another major bit of praise.

In his latest rankings of prospects for the 2025 NFL Draft, Pro Football Focus' Trevor Sikkema rated Gamecock defensive lineman TJ Sanders as the 5th-best player at the position for next year's draft. Sanders slots in behind Michigan Wolverines duo Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant, Kentucky Wolverines nose tackle Deone Walker, and Cincinnati Bearcats lineman Donte Corleaone.

The ranking doesn't come as a surprise to those who have paid attention. Sanders, a Marion, South Carolina native, is a big, athletic player who has had moments of brilliance both against the run and as a pass rusher. His versatility also means he could play 3-technique or 5-technique in a 4-man front or out a little wider as a defensive end in 3-man looks.

Last year, Sanders was the SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week after a strong performance against the Georgia Bulldogs. He also led the Gamecocks in tackles for loss and sacks and finished 2nd among non-DBs in passes defended. No defensive lineman in garnet and black had more solo tackles or total tackles than Sanders, and it seems clear that he is a real candidate for a breakout 2024 season.

If his production takes another step forward, Sanders will be an early pick in next year's NFL Draft just as Sikkema and PFF are projecting. And if that happens, the results on the field for this year's South Carolina football team will be improved, as well.