Kyle Kennard

*2024 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Winner
*2024 Lombardi Award Finalist
*2024 Blanchard-Rogers Trophy Finalist
*2024 First-Team All-America (AFCA, Water Camp, FWAA, SI.com, Reese’s Senior Bowl, Phil Steele)
*2024 Second-Team All-America (AP, Sporting News, CBS Sports, ESPN)
*2024 Third-Team All-America (College Football Nation)
*2024 SEC Defensive Player of the Year (Coaches, AP)
*2024 SEC Defensive Lineman of the Year (College Football Live)
*2024 Joe Morrison MVP Defense
*2024 First-Team All-SEC (Coaches, AP, USA TODAY, Phil Steele)
*2024 Third-Team All-SEC (College Football Nation)
*2024 Blanchard-Rogers Trophy Finalist
*2024 South Carolina Spirit Award – Defense
*2024 CSC Academic All-District

EDGE rusher who transferred to South Carolina from Georgia Tech for the 2024 season where he produced one of the most decorated seasons in Gamecock football history… played in 54 contests over five seasons, making 32 starts… credited with 143 career tackles with 37.0 tackles for loss and 24.0 sacks.

2024 (Super Senior)
Joined the team in January after four years at Georgia Tech… became the first Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner in school history… was a finalist for the Lombardi Award and the Blanchard-Rogers Trophy and a semifinalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award and Walter Camp Player of the Year… named first-team All-America by AFCA, Water Camp, FWAA, SI.com, Reese’s Senior Bowl, and Phil Steele and was a second-team selection by the AP, Sporting News, CBS Sports and ESPN… was both the Coaches and the AP’s SEC Defensive Player of the Year… one of three players cited as the Joe Morrison MVP for the defense… started all 12 regular season games… logged 28 tackles including 15.5 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks… had the fourth-best TFLs and the second-highest sack total in a single season in school history… forced three fumbles and recovered two… led the SEC in both sacks and TFLs, tied for fourth in fumbles forced and tied for fourth in fumbles recovered… led the team with 10 quarterback hurries including four against Vanderbilt… made an immediate presence in the season opener against Old Dominion with four tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and one forced fumble earning SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week honors… turned in a season-best performance at Alabama with a season-high seven tackles that included 3.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks… considered the nation’s 14th-best player in ESPN’s midseason report… received the South Carolina Spirit Award for the defense in the spring… named to the CSC Academic All-District team.

2023 (Senior)
Played in all 12 regular season games, starting six… recorded 54 tackles, sixth on the squad… led the Yellow Jackets with 11.0 tackles for loss and with 6.0 sacks… credited with two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and an interception… credited with a career-high eight tackles against both Louisville and Wake Forest… logged an interception, forced fumble and fumble recovery against South Carolina State, earning ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week honors… credited with 4.0 sacks at Wake Forest, tied for the most by an FBS player in 2023 and the most by a Yellow Jacket in 10 years… had the game-changing fumble recovery in the final minute of the win at Miami.

2022 (Junior)
Played in all 12 games and made nine starts at defensive end… tied for eighth on team in total tackles with 36… amassed 19 solo tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and two sacks… recorded a season-best five tackles including four solo stops against Western Carolina and at Florida State… turned in four tackles in four different games – at UCF, vs. Duke, vs. Virginia and vs. Miami.

2021 (Sophomore)
Saw action in all 12 games… made starts against Boston College and Notre Dame… finished the season with 15 tackles, which included 3.5 tackles for loss (fifth on team) and two sacks (tied for second on team)… turned in his best performance of the season in win over No. 20 North Carolina with two sacks and three tackles for loss among his season-high four total tackles… was in on a tackle for loss in win at Duke… recorded three tackles against Boston College.

2020 (Freshman)
Became a significant contributor at defensive end down the stretch of his true-freshman campaign…  saw action in six games, including the final five contests… made three starts, getting the nod at Boston College, at NC State and vs. Pitt… recorded 10 tackles and 2.5 sacks… 2.5 sacks ranked second on the team… seven of his 10 tackles and all 2.5 sacks came in the final two games of the season with three tackles with 1.5 sacks at NC State and four tackles with 1.0 sack versus Pitt.

HIGH SCHOOL
Earned all-region honors at Riverwood international Charter School in Sandy Springs, Ga… recorded more than 100 tackles and 40 tackles for loss over the final two seasons of his prep career… Helped lead the Raiders to a perfect 10-0 regular season and 11-1 overall record as a senior in 2019… anchored a defense that allowed just 11.4 points per game during his senior campaign… coached by Robert Edwards… tabbed as the No. 38-ranked weakside defensive end in the nation and the No. 77-ranked player in the state of Georgia by Rivals.

PERSONAL
Kyle M. Kennard was born Dec. 12, 2001… is a services management major who graduated in December 2024.