Undrafted South Carolina football players land first NFL opportunities
South Carolina football send three more players to the NFL last week in the draft.
Brandon Cisse, Nick Barrett and Jalon Kilgore all heard their names called in the 2026 NFL Draft. Cisse was selected in the second round by the Green Bay Packers, and Barrett and Kilgore were taken in the fifth round by the Los Angeles Charges and Buffalo Bills, respectively.
Just because other Gamecocks didn’t hear their name during the draft doesn’t mean they won’t get a shot at the pros. A few of head coach Shane Beamer’s former players have already inked undrafted free agent contracts or have received invites to rookie mini-camps.
Here’s a running list of those players:
UDFA signings
Bryan Thomas Jr: The defensive lineman will be returning to his home state to begin his NFL career. Thomas signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. Thomas played in 46 games during his four-year career with the Gamecocks. In that time he totaled 92 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss and 12.5 sacks. Thomas was am All-SEC third-team selection by the league’s coaches in 2025.
Monkell Goodwine: The defensive lineman signed as a free agent with the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. Goodwine played for two seasons with the Gamecocks. He started 11 of the 25 games with USC and totaled 46 tackles and two forced fumbles. Goodwine started his career with three years at Alabama and played in five total games for the Crimson Tide.
Mini-camp invites
Jared Brown: The former Gamecock wide receiver has earned a mini-camp invite from the San Francisco 49ers, his representation announced Saturday. Brown played two seasons with the Gamecocks after starting his career with three years at Coastal Carolina. Brown played in 18 games for South Carolina and totaled 21 catches for 346 yards and one touchdown. He was the Sun Belt Freshman of the Year in 2022.
Rahsul Faison: The veteran running back has mini-camp invites from the Kansas City Chiefs, Tennessee Titans and New Orleans Saints, per GamecockCentral. Faison spent his seventh year of college football with the Gamecocks. He started seven of the nine games he appeared in and ran for 470 yards and three touchdowns. Before his time with South Carolina, Faison was an All-Mountain West Conference running back at Utah State and spent time at the junior college level.
DQ Smith: The Spring Valley High School product has received mini-camp invites from the Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos, and Cleveland Browns, according to GamecockCentral. Smith was a four-year starter for Beamer and the Gamecocks. He played in 48 games and totaled 228 tackles, 16 pass deflections and five interceptions during his tenure.
