Tonka Hemingway named top 10 defensive tackle in college football by Pro Football Focus
South Carolina’s defense is set to return multiple experienced veterans who are amongst the best players in the country at their respective positions.
Debo Williams, a redshirt senior, was an All-SEC First Team linebacker this past season. T.J. Sanders, a redshirt junior, could be one of the best defensive tackle prospects in next year’s NFL Draft.
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But the Gamecocks have another proven commodity on the roster who plays the same position as Sanders. And he is one of the top returning players at that position, according to Pro Football Focus.
The media outlet placed Tonka Hemingway in a list of the top 10 defensive tackles in college football ahead of the 2024 campaign. Hemingway appeared at No. 8 in the rankings.
PFF’s Max Chadwick shared the reasoning behind Hemingway’s ranking on a clip from the PFF College Football Show posted on June 13.
“(He) scored in the 99th percentile of our GAS (Game Athleticism Score) in 2022 and the 94th percentile this past season. He’s a freak athlete. He had the eighth best pass rushing grade among Power Five D-tackles this past year at 82.1. Also, he was one of only 10 Power Five D-tackles with 75-plus grades both as a pass rusher and a run defender,” Chadwick said.
“He’s a little undersized – he’s 295 pounds – but he makes up for it with really good quickness and really good flexibility, as well. I’m a really big fan of Tonka Hemingway right now. And I think he’s one of the more underrated D-tackles we have in college football right now.”
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Hemingway was one of South Carolina’s top defensive threats during the 2023 season. The fifth-year defensive tackle amassed 32 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks last year. He also added seven pass breakups and a team-high six quarterback hits.
In the Gamecocks’ 38-28 win over Jacksonville State on Nov. 4, Hemingway proved he could contribute on offense, too. He scored a touchdown on a two-yard run to give South Carolina an early 6-0 lead in the first quarter.
Hemingway’s preseason accolades are not limited to just PFF’s ranking, though. He was named to the Preseason All-SEC Third Team at the SEC Media Days on Friday. Alex Huntley, another veteran defensive tackle, also extended praise to Hemingway at the event on Monday.
“I think Tonka coming back is huge. He’s a great player, as everybody knows. (He’s) a great teammate. And he’s a great person,” Huntley said. “Being one of my close friends, every day, I kind of see him in a different light than a lot of people. He’s a very calm guy, just to himself. But on the football field, he kind of lets it all go.”
