Kingsley Enagbare selected by Green Bay Packers in NFL Draft

South Carolina standout defensive end Kingsley Enagbare was selected with the No. 179 overall pick by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft on Saturday.

Affectionately known as “J.J.,” Enagbare was a first-team All-SEC and a third-team All-America selection by ProFootballFocus as a senior this past season when he recorded 44 tackles, including a team-high 7.0 tackles for loss and a team-best 4.5 sacks

PFF’s grading metrics were incredibly high on the Atlanta native, giving him an 89.2 pass-rushing grade in 2020 and a 92.5 mark in 2021.

Enagbare participated in the NFL Combine earlier this year, clocking 4.87 seconds in the 40-yard dash and vertical jumping 36.5 inches with an 11-foot, 7-inch broad jump.

The 6-foot-4, 258-pounder completed his four-year South Carolina football career with 121 tackles including 24.0 tackles-for-loss and 15.0 sacks to go along with 19 quarterback hurries.

The Hapeville Charter graduate signed with South Carolina as an On3Consensus four-star prospect, ranked by the recruiting industry as the No. 234 overall prospect and No. 15 EDGE in the 2018 class.

Full Kingsley Enagbare Bio from Gamecocks Online

2021 (Senior)

Senior who was a first-team All-SEC and a third-team All-America selection by ProFootballFocus… earned second team All-SEC accolades from Phil Steele… a Chuck Bednarik Award semifinalist… selected by the Carolina coaches as one of three Nutrition Award winners… selected by his teammates at the co-Joe Morrison Award winner as the MVP on defense and the co-Steve Wadiak Award winner as the Team MVP… selected by his teammates at one of five Rex Enright permanent team captains for the 2021 season… recorded 44 tackles, including a team-high 7.0 tackles for loss and a team-best 4.5 sacks… registered 11 of the squad’s 34 quarterback hurries on the season… credited with two pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery… served as a captain in contests versus Georgia, Texas A&M and Clemson… invited to play in the Reese’s Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine… named the Rex Enright Defensive Player of the Spring as selected by the coaches.

2020 (Junior)

Named first-team All-SEC by the league’s 14 coaches and by Phil Steele… earned second-team all-conference honors by the Associated Press… played and started eight games at the BUCK position… led the team with 6.0 sacks and with three forced fumbles… ranked second in the SEC in both sacks (0.75) and fumbles forced (0.38) per game… tied for 30th in the country in sacks per game and tied for 13th in fumbles forced per game… accounted for nearly half of the team’s 14 sacks and 60 percent of the fumbles forced… logged 30 tackles overall, including a team-high 7.0 tackles for loss… also had a pair of quarterback hurries… got off to a fast start with, 2.5 tackles for loss, a pair of sacks and a forced fumble while recording a career-high nine tackles in the season opener against Tennessee… credited with a sack and a forced fumble at Vanderbilt… notched a sack and two QB hurries in the win over Auburn… had six tackles, a sack and a forced fumble at Ole Miss… also had a sack against Missouri… missed the final two games of the season due to injury… also missed the spring after having hip surgery in the off-season.

2019 (Sophomore)

Sophomore defensive lineman who played in all 12 games making one start… credited with 27 tackles including 16 solo stops… logged 7.0 tackles for loss including 3.5 sacks… also notched three quarterback hurries… made his lone start in the win over Charleston Southern… best games came against Missouri and Clemson when he posted six tackles each… had four tackles, two quarterback hurries and a career-high 1.5 sacks at Texas A&M… also had sacks against Georgia and Clemson… one of three Nutrition Award winners as selected by the coaches following the season.

2018 (Freshman)

True freshman who had a solid first year playing on the defensive line… saw action in 12 games, collecting 20 tackles with 3.0 tackles for loss and a quarterback sack… credited with three quarterback hurries and a pair of pass breakups… made two tackles in his Gamecock debut, a win over Coastal Carolina… made his biggest impact in SEC play with three tackles, including his first-career tackle for loss, in the Tennessee win… logged two tackles, two pass breakups and a blocked PAT vs. Chattanooga… had his best game vs. Akron with a team-high six tackles, his first-career sack, two tackles for loss and three QB hurries.

HIGH SCHOOL

Named the Class AA Defensive Player of the Year and first-team all-state while prepping at Hapeville Charter Academy in Atlanta, Kingsley Enagbare graduated in December of 2017 and enrolled at South Carolina in January… guided the Hornets to a 14-1 record and a Georgia Class AA state championship as a senior… coached by Winston Gordon… ranked as the 10th-best strongside defensive end in the nation and the 29th-best player in the state of Georgia by 247’s national composite rankings… Rivals ranked him as the 36th-best player in Georgia and the 24th-best strongside defensive end in the nation… named to the PrepStar All-Southeast Region team.

PERSONAL

Kingsley O. “JJ” Enagbare was born Jan. 18, 2000… graduated in May with a degree in retail management.

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