Nick Emmanwori is coming into his own for South Carolina
True freshman and South Carolina native Nick Emmanwori is getting his chance to shine in his first year for his hometown team.
The Irmo (S.C.) product is taking advantage of injuries to gain valuable first-team reps as a true freshman.
“He’s been awesome, he’s come in and the moment hasn’t been too big for him. He’s really worked hard, he just continues to get better, and if there’s something that he’s not as good at as he wants to be right now he works at it,” Beamer said.
Emmanwori saw action against Georgia State tallying three tackles entering the game after R.J. Roderick was injured on the seventh play of the season. Against No.14 Arkansas and No.1 Georgia, Emanwori was thrown into the fire as a starter. Emmanwori rose to the challenge, tallying 10+ tackles in each of the two games.
Special: Get a year of Gamecock Central for $10 or a month for $1!
Emmanwori is so comfortable it is evident that he’s at home. He tallied a career-high 14 tackles against Georgia and is very confident in his ability stepping into the starting role.
“I feel confident in my ability to play early and getting real physical you know, understanding the scheme of the defense, and I just got to get a little bit more my reads you know a little better and stuff but I feel confident,” Emmanwori said.
Emmanwori’s work rate is what makes him so special. He tallied 232 tackles as a senior at Irmo high school. With 28 tackles through three games, it is easy to see why his teammates are so high on him.
Top 10
- 1New
LSU-OU WBB fight
Multiple ejections after dust up
- 2Hot
Pearl needles Alabama
Auburn coach had to say it
- 3
Cam Newton
Arch Manning, Saban to Cowboys
- 4
Arch Manning NIL
Texas QB signs with Red Bull
- 5
ACC, ESPN extension
New deal reached through 2036
Get the On3 Top 10 to your inbox every morning
By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.
Gilber Edmond is another young player that is stepping up after Jordan Strachan suffered season ending surgery. The two are among many younger players stepping up on defense.
“Nick, he’s just a dog, that’s pretty much it. He makes the plays that come his way and then he goes out of the way and makes other people’s plays. He’s just a really good kid who plays hard and loves the game,” Edmond said.
The Gamecocks have had to play a lot of freshmen and they all have impressed given the circumstances. Still, there’s a learning curve for everyone except Emmanwori.
“They’re learning, especially Nick. Nick doesn’t need anybody, he’s basically a veteran already,” Pickens said.
Even though he is already a veteran, Pickens said that Jaylin Dickerson and Jaylan Foster have also played a big part in Emmanwori’s success. It is huge to guys who have been through the grind of college football in your corner.
