Four Gamecocks Invited to NFL Combine
Four University of South Carolina football players have been invited to the 2026 NFL Combine, the National Football League announced today.
Representing Gamecock Football at the Combine are running back Rahsul Faison, defensive tackle Nick Barrett, cornerback Brandon Cisse and defensive back Jalon Kilgore.
Faison, a 6-0, 218-pounder from Pottstown, Pa., spent one season in the Garnet & Black. He played in all 12 games, starting seven. He was the Gamecocks’ leading rusher with 96 carries for 470 yards and three touchdowns in 2025. Faison rushed 412 times for 2,315 yards and 16 touchdowns in three seasons at the Division I level, the first two at Utah State.
Barrett, a 6-3, 322-pounder from Goldsboro, N.C., spent five seasons in Columbia. He appeared in 51 games with 13 starts, recording 72 tackles. In 2025, he was recognized by his teammates as a Rex Enright permanent team captain, a co-Steve Wadiak Team MVP Awar winner and a co-Most Outstanding Senior Award recipient. He also earned the coaches’ Strength & Conditioning Award and Nutrition Award.
Cisse, a 6-0, 190-pounder from Sumter, S.C. began his career at NC State before transferring to South Carolina for the 2025 season. He logged 65 tackles and 10 pass breakups with two interceptions in three seasons of college football. He started all 12 games at cornerback in his lone season in Columbia.
Kilgore, a 6-1, 211-pounder from Eatonton, Ga., spent three years as a starter in the Gamecock secondary. He earned Freshman All-America and Freshman All-SEC honors in 2023 and was a second-team All-SEC selection by the league’s 16 coaches in 2025. He appeared in 36 of 37 games during his time in Columbia with 33 starts. He collected 178 tackles and eight interceptions with 21 career pass breakups. In 2025, he was selected by his peers as a Rex Enright permanent team captain and was a co-winner of the Joe Morrison MVP honors for the Carolina defense.
A total of 319 prospects have been invited to attend this year’s event, a number that matches the low mark of 2023. The Combine will take place in Indianapolis from February 23 through March 2.
