Skip to main content
south-carolina logo

South Carolina DT Tonka Hemingway selected in 2025 NFL Draft

imageby:Jack Veltri•about 17 hours•

jacktveltri

South Carolina football senior Tonka Hemingway on his way to the end zone against Oklahoma (CJ Driggers/GamecockCentral)
South Carolina football senior Tonka Hemingway on his way to the end zone against Oklahoma (CJ Driggers/GamecockCentral)

The Las Vegas Raiders selected South Carolina defensive tackle Tonka Hemingway with the 33rd pick in the fourth round of the NFL Draft (No. 135 overall).

The fifth Gamecock selected in this year’s draft, Hemingway joins a Raiders team that needs to be better on the defensive line. The Palmetto State native brings versatility as a player who can play tackle or as a big end in certain situations. He also brings proven production against the run and as a pass rusher.

Get the inside scoop on all things Gamecocks for just $1 for 7 days—lock in this special offer!

Hemingway was one of the last players remaining from the previous staff under former head coach Will Muschamp at South Carolina. After joining the program in 2020, he went on to play with the Gamecocks for five seasons through 2024.

In his career in Columbia, Hemingway appeared in 61 games and made 28 starts. He logged 17.5 career tackles for loss with 9.5 sacks, 11 pass breakups, 19 quarterback hurries, and six fumble recoveries. He scored two touchdowns and also scored on a two-point conversion.

Hemingway made the All-SEC team in his final three seasons with the program. He was named second-team All-SEC by Phil Steele and earned a spot on the PFF Third Team All-SEC squad in 2022. He earned second-team All-SEC honors from College Football Network in 2023. Then this past season, he made College Football Nation’s All-SEC third team.

Here’s a full list of Hemingway’s honors over his five-year career at South Carolina:

*2024 Third-Team All-SEC (College Football Nation)
*2024 Ray Tanner Award
*2024 co-Community Service Award
*2024 SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll
*2024 Harold White GPA Award – Defense
*2024 Gamecock Toughness Award – Defense
*2023 Second-Team All-SEC (College Football Network)
*2023 SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll
*2022 Second-Team All-SEC (Phil Steele)
*2022 Third-Team All-SEC (ProFootballFocus)
*2022 Outstanding Student-Athlete Award
*2022 SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll
*2022 Harold White GPA Award – Defense
*2021 SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll
*2021 Gamecock Toughness Award – Defense
*2020-21 SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll

Discuss South Carolina Football on The Insiders Forum!

You may also like