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South Carolina football star edge rusher Kyle Kennard is officially an NFL rookie after being picked No. 125 overall by the Los Angeles Chargers in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft on April 26.
Here's what Kennard brings to Chargers, based on his one year with the Gamecocks under coach Shane Beamer, after spending four seasons at Georgia Tech.
Kyle Kennard had a breakout season in 2024, making waves in his first and only SEC season. He led the conference in sacks with 11.5 and led the Gamecocks with 15.5 tackles for loss. He started every game, bringing not just talent but also experience to the NFL. He had 28 tackles and three forced fumbles.
He is 6-foot-5, 254 pounds and ultra skilled and strong. In December, he won the Bronko Nagurski Award, given each year to the nation's best defender, which speaks to the skill he'll bring to the NFL.
Kennard started the season with 2.5 sacks in the win over Old Dominion, then in the last six games, he had at least one sack in five of the six games. He pressures even the most-skilled quarterbacks because he gets off the corner so well, and has the strength to fight through aggressive offensive lines.
In the loss to LSU, he registered a 1.5 sacks and two solo tackles, against one of the nation's best offensive lines. He had a season-high six solo tackles in the loss to Alabama, and registered two sacks. Against Missouri, the Gamecocks were up 34-30 and with nine seconds left, he sacked QB Brady Cook to prevent a potentially game-winning play.
He pokes out the ball and strips opponents but at times he may struggle against highly-skilled OLs, where his first punch isn't enough to get by.
At the combine, he was graded 6.17, which according to the chart suggests a player who is a "Good backup with the potential to develop into starter."
Bold indicates stats from South Carolina
Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at [email protected] and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Lulukesin
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Los Angeles Chargers draft Kyle Kennard in 2025 NFL Draft: Pros, cons of pick
Continue reading...
Here's what Kennard brings to Chargers, based on his one year with the Gamecocks under coach Shane Beamer, after spending four seasons at Georgia Tech.
What Kyle Kennard brings to the Los Angeles Chargers in 2025 NFL Draft
Kyle Kennard had a breakout season in 2024, making waves in his first and only SEC season. He led the conference in sacks with 11.5 and led the Gamecocks with 15.5 tackles for loss. He started every game, bringing not just talent but also experience to the NFL. He had 28 tackles and three forced fumbles.
He is 6-foot-5, 254 pounds and ultra skilled and strong. In December, he won the Bronko Nagurski Award, given each year to the nation's best defender, which speaks to the skill he'll bring to the NFL.
Kyle Kennard's highlights, strengths, weaknesses at South Carolina
Kennard started the season with 2.5 sacks in the win over Old Dominion, then in the last six games, he had at least one sack in five of the six games. He pressures even the most-skilled quarterbacks because he gets off the corner so well, and has the strength to fight through aggressive offensive lines.
In the loss to LSU, he registered a 1.5 sacks and two solo tackles, against one of the nation's best offensive lines. He had a season-high six solo tackles in the loss to Alabama, and registered two sacks. Against Missouri, the Gamecocks were up 34-30 and with nine seconds left, he sacked QB Brady Cook to prevent a potentially game-winning play.
He pokes out the ball and strips opponents but at times he may struggle against highly-skilled OLs, where his first punch isn't enough to get by.
At the combine, he was graded 6.17, which according to the chart suggests a player who is a "Good backup with the potential to develop into starter."
Kyle Kennard's stats with South Carolina football
Bold indicates stats from South Carolina
- 2024: 28 tackles (20 solo), 15.5 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, one pass defended
- 2023: 53 tackles (32 solo), six sacks, two forced fumbles, one interception
- 2022: 36 tackles (19 solo), two sacks
- 2021: 15 tackles (five solo), two sacks
- 2020: seven tackles, (five solo), 2.5 sacks
Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at [email protected] and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Lulukesin
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Los Angeles Chargers draft Kyle Kennard in 2025 NFL Draft: Pros, cons of pick
Continue reading...
