Football . December 6, 2022

Gamecocks Place Two on CFN’s Freshman All-America Teams

The University of South Carolina placed two defensive backs on the College Football News Freshman All-America teams, it was announced today. Nick Emmanwori earned a spot on CFN’s second-team Freshman All-America squad as a safety, while teammate DQ Smith was named to CFN’s third-team Freshman All-America unit as a cornerback.

Emmanwori, a 6-4, 218-pounder from Irmo, S.C. (Irmo High School), started 11 of 12 games for South Carolina in 2022, leading the Gamecocks in tackles with 78. He is tied for 16th in the SEC with 6.5 tackles per game while tying for the league-lead with 59 solo tackles, the top mark among true freshmen in the country. He added a fumble recovery, two quarterback hurries and a pass break up.

Smith, a 6-1, 212-pounder from Columbia, S.C. (Spring Valley High School), started the final 10 games of the regular season for the Gamecocks. He is fourth on the team with 49 tackles, including 38 solo stops and 1.0 sack and tackle for loss. He has recorded five pass break ups with one interception, forced a fumble and added two quarterback hurries. Smith also returned a blocked punt for a touchdown.

The Gamecocks (8-4, 4-4 SEC) will be back in action on Friday, Dec. 30, when they travel to Jacksonville, Fla. to face the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (8-4) in the 78th edition of the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl. Game time is set for 3:30 pm ET and the contest will be televised nationally on ESPN.