Five Gamecocks Invited to NFL Combine

Five University of South Carolina seniors are among the 337 prospects who have been invited to participate in the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, it was announced today. The annual event will take place in Indianapolis from Feb. 23 through March 2.
 
Those Gamecocks invited to attend include punter Joseph Charlton, running back Rico Dowdle, wide receiver Bryan Edwards, defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw and defensive end D.J. Wonnum.
 
Joseph Charlton
Punter
6-5       190
Columbia, S.C. (A.C. Flora)
 
Senior punter who was recognized as the MVP for special teams (Jim Carlen Award) and the Most Productive Player for special teams… also was named the winner of the Tenacity Award for special teams and Leadership Award for special teams… was a second-team All-SEC selection and honorable mention All-American by Pro Football Focus… averaged 47.7 yards per punt, ranking third in the country and breaking his own single-season school record by nearly three yards… accepted an invitation to play in the Reese’s Senior Bowl… also owns the school’s best career punting average at 45.5 yards… was a semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award, given to the nation’s top punter… was a five-time “Ray’s 8” weekly watch list member… had eight punts for a single-game career-high 53.4-yard average at Missouri, with six punts over 50 yards including a 63-yarder… punted nine times for a 51.2-yard average in the win over Kentucky, earning SEC Special Teams Player of the Week honors… boomed a season-best 66-yarder at Tennessee… had a school record 27 punts of 50 yards or more and 28 were marked inside the 20 with just five touchbacks.
 
Rico Dowdle
Running Back
6-0                215
Asheville, N.C. (A.C. Reynolds)
 
Senior running back who shared the Tenacity Award for offense… finished second on the squad with 108 carries for 498 yards and four touchdowns… also caught 22 passes for 167 yards… finished his career ranked 15th on the school’s all-time rushing list with 2,167 yards, scoring 16 rushing touchdowns… started 10 of 12 games, missing a pair of games (Tennessee and Vanderbilt) due to a knee injury… logged a pair of 100-yard rushing games, going for 102 against both Alabama and Kentucky, giving him eight in his career… had a season-high 21 carries in the upset win at Georgia… had a career-high five receptions for 67 yards on Senior Day against Appalachian State… selected to play in the East-West Shrine Bowl… graduated in December.
 
Bryan Edwards
Wide Receiver
6-3                215
Conway, S.C. (Conway)
 
Named the Steve Wadiak MVP, the MVP of the offense (Steve Spurrier Award), the Most Explosive Player on offense, the Tenacity Award winner for offense, and one of five permanent team captains following his senior season… selected to the Coaches’ second-team All-SEC squad and was a third-team All-SEC selection by Pro Football Focus… invited to play in the Reese’s Senior Bowl… set the school records for consecutive games with a catch (48), career receptions (234) and career receiving yards (3,045)… also ranks third in school history with 22 career receiving touchdowns, one behind Sidney Rice and Alshon Jeffery… led all Power 5 schools and was third among all Division I receivers in career receptions and career receiving yards… led the SEC with 7.1 receptions per game and ranked fourth with 81.6 receiving yards per game in 10 games… had a trio of 100-yard receiving games, going for 112 vs. Charleston Southern, 113 at Missouri and 139 vs. Vanderbilt, giving him eight in his career… had a career night against the Commodores when he tied the school single-game record with 14 receptions… had a catch in every game he’s played in and logged 25 career games, including nine in 2019) with five or more catches… had at least six receptions in each of his final eight games… had nine catches for 90 yards and a touchdown on Senior Day vs. App. State… had a 75-yard touchdown reception at Missouri, tying for the longest of his career… made a spectacular one-handed catch to set up a touchdown at Tennessee… also returned seven punts on the season for 125 yards, a 17.9-yard average… missed the final two games of the season with a knee injury… graduated in December.
 
Javon Kinlaw
Defensive Tackle
6-6                310
Charleston, S.C. (Goose Creek/Jones C.C.)
 
Named Associated Press first-team All-America, second-team All-America by USA TODAY, was a first-team All-SEC selection by the Southeastern Conference coaches, and was a second-team All-SEC selection by the AP… also was a second-team All-SEC selection and a third-team All-American, according to Pro Football Focus… became the 25^th first-team All-American in South Carolina football history… selected to play in the Reese’s Senior Bowl… named as one of six Dr. Harris Pastides Outstanding Student-Athlete Award winners… selected by his teammates as the winner of the MVP of the defense (Joe Morrison Award), the Most Productive Player on defense, the Unselfish Teammate Award for defense and the Tenacity Award for defense… selected as one of five permanent team captains… notched 35 tackles and 6.0 sacks, tying for eighth in the SEC… added four quarterback hurries, two pass breakups, two fumble recoveries and one blocked kick… had big game in 2019 season-opener vs North Carolina with four tackles, a sack, a fumble recovery and the third blocked field goal of his career… recorded four tackles and a sack against Alabama… logged four tackles, 1.0 sack, one pass breakup, one QB hurry and a fumble recovery at Missouri… the midseason All-American was recognized as the SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week in the upset win over Georgia after recording four tackles and a sack… also applied the pressure that forced an errant Jake Fromm throw on Israel Mukuamu’s pick-six late in the first half… graduated in December.
 
D.J. Wonnum
Defensive End
6-5                260
Stone Mountain, Ga. (Stephenson)
 
Senior BUCK who was named one of five permanent team captains… accepted an invitation to play in the Reese’s Senior Bowl… was a second-team All-SEC selection by the Associated Press… named honorable mention all-conference by Pro Football Focus… was on the Mayo Clinic list for Comeback Player of the Year… selected by the Carolina coaches as the Comeback Player of the Year… also was a Nutrition Award, Strength & Conditioning, and Dr. Harris Pastides Outstanding Student-Athlete Award winner… finished the season with 37 tackles, including 9.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks… his 29.5 career tackles for loss ranks ninth on the school’s all-time list… named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against Kentucky when he registered a career-high 3.0 sacks among his five tackles and forced a fumble… it was the fourth time he had been recognized by the SEC for a weekly award in his career… also had 3.0 tackles for loss while logging a season-high seven stops in the season opener vs. North Carolina… intercepted a pass at Missouri, setting up a touchdown… blocked a field goal attempt off the foot of All-American Rodrigo Blankenship at Georgia, helping the Gamecocks to an overtime win.