South Carolina Professional Athletes

South Carolina alumni are scattered across the NFL landscape, but this final preseason week brought several Gamecocks into sharp focus — some fighting for starting jobs, others just trying to make the 53.

Milton and Rattler Square Off in the Desert

The Cowboys-Saints preseason finale doubled as an unofficial South Carolina showcase. Joe Milton and Spencer Rattler — two former college quarterbacks with everything to prove — both took meaningful snaps in what amounted to a high-stakes audition for both men.

Milton, competing for a roster spot in Dallas, and Rattler, who enters his second NFL season looking to cement his standing in New Orleans' quarterback room, delivered performances that gave their respective coaching staffs something to chew on before Tuesday's roster cutdown deadline. Neither has locked up a clear path forward, which made Friday's finale must-watch for anyone tracking Gamecock alumni across the league.

Rattler's trajectory in New Orleans will be one of the more interesting stories to follow into the regular season. The Saints drafted him in the fifth round in 2024, and the clock is ticking on whether he develops into a viable backup — or something more.

Gwyn Thrust Into Starting Competition in Baltimore

The more consequential roster development of the week may belong to Jovaughn Gwyn. The Ravens lost starting center Danny Pinter to injury, opening the door for Gwyn and veteran Ethan Pocic to audition with the first-team offense. Baltimore's interior line is a pillar of their offensive identity, and a starting center job — even one born of necessity — is not a small thing.

Gwyn, an undrafted lineman who has spent time developing on Baltimore's roster, now has a legitimate opportunity to push for meaningful regular-season snaps. Whether he wins the job outright or simply logs first-team reps before the Ravens make a move, this week elevated his profile in a room that matters.

Rush Makes the Case in Washington

In Washington, cornerback Darius Rush is making a quiet but credible case to survive final cuts. The Commanders' roster construction leans heavily on special teams versatility in the back end of the depth chart, and Rush's athleticism makes him a viable candidate for Larry Izzo's units.

Rush isn't projected as a starting corner, but in today's NFL, a player who can contribute on coverage teams while offering positional flexibility at CB has real value. Washington's decision-makers have taken notice, and the conversation around him heading into cutdown day is a legitimate one rather than a courtesy.

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Three Gamecocks, three different battles — but the common thread is that South Carolina's NFL pipeline is producing players who are right on the edge of something bigger. Roster decisions made this week will determine who gets the chance to prove it.

South Carolina alumni are scattered across the NFL's preseason landscape this week — and not all of them are making headlines for the right reasons.

Nixon and LaFleur's Public Spat Steals the Show

The loudest storyline belongs in Green Bay, where Keisean Nixon — a 2025 Pro Bowler — finds himself not just fighting for a starting cornerback job but also feuding with his own head coach about it.

Nixon made his frustration public, saying the open CB competition felt like he was "being punished" — a comment that didn't land well with Packers HC Matt LaFleur, who fired back publicly and reportedly put Nixon squarely in the doghouse. LaFleur's subtle shot at his veteran corner has since escalated into a full back-and-forth, with Nixon calling out the coach in response.

The football reality is messy, too. Per reports, Nixon, Brandon Cisse, Benjamin St-Juste, and Carrington Valentine have all been rotating with the first-team defense at outside corner — a signal that Green Bay isn't handing Nixon anything despite his Pro Bowl résumé. The team may have never had a real choice but to run a competition, but Nixon's comments have turned an uncomfortable situation into a full preseason distraction with the regular season less than a month away.

Legette's Foot/Ankle Issue Clouds Panthers WR Room

In Charlotte, Xavier Legette missed Friday's preseason game with a foot and ankle injury — the kind of ailment that raises flags for a wide receiver heading into what was supposed to be a pivotal second season. Head coach Dave Canales confirmed the injury but offered little elaboration on severity or timeline.

Legette, a first-round pick out of South Carolina in 2024, is still working to establish himself as a reliable weapon in Carolina's offense. Missing preseason reps at this stage of camp is far from ideal, and the Panthers' WR room has little margin for uncertainty.

Sanders Quietly Becoming a Bills Defensive Cornerstone

The most encouraging Gamecock story of the week is unfolding in Buffalo, where 23-year-old defensive tackle T.J. Sanders is being labeled the biggest X-factor on a revamped Bills defense. Sanders has drawn attention for his ability to disrupt interior blocking schemes and create pressure — a skillset that could make him a foundational piece rather than a depth option. For a Bills team with Super Bowl ambitions, Sanders' emergence is exactly the kind of under-the-radar development that separates contenders from pretenders.

'Turbo Time' Ends in New York

Dante Miller's preseason story ended before it really got started. The fan-favorite running back — nicknamed "Turbo" — was waived by the Giants after suffering a groin/abdomen injury. Miller had been battling for a roster spot, but the injury effectively ended his chances of cracking the 53-man roster. An earlier report had flagged the injury as a potential "situation," and sure enough, New York moved on quickly.

One More to Watch

Chargers linebacker Kyle Kennard — another Gamecock — left practice Tuesday with an injury, per the LA Times, adding to a rough week of attrition for the Los Angeles roster. His status going forward is unclear.

South Carolina's NFL presence remains deep and wide. Whether that translates into good news this preseason is still very much a mixed bag.

Two South Carolina alumni are generating legitimate buzz as the NFL preseason rolls into full swing — and both stories have enough texture to keep Gamecock fans locked in heading toward Week 1.

Deebo Samuel: The Reunion Tour Is Real

It's official, it's symbolic, and it's generating headlines: Deebo Samuel is back in San Francisco, back in No. 19, and back in Kyle Shanahan's good graces. The former South Carolina standout signed a one-year deal with the 49ers at the end of July, closing the loop on a messy divorce that included very public contract drama — what Shanahan himself recently dismissed as "BS."

The head coach went out of his way to address the noise head-on, denying that any contentious relationship existed during past negotiations and insisting that Samuel's return had nothing to do with Ricky Pearsall's PCL injury. Whether you buy the revisionist history or not, the football case for Samuel is straightforward: Shanahan knows how to deploy him better than anyone, and All-22 devotees around the league have already been reminded how dangerous that pairing can be.

The 49ers' receiver room carries real health questions entering the season, which makes Samuel's durability and Shanahan's comfort level with him all the more critical. At least one 49ers All-Pro has already gone on record with a bold Samuel prediction for 2026 — a signal that the locker room is buying in. The reunion isn't just nostalgic. It might be necessary.

Training camp offered one early stress test: a fistful of fights broke out during a joint practice with the Titans, resulting in the 49ers banning two players. Samuel emerged from the chaos unscathed, which, given the injury context around this roster, counts as a minor win in itself.

Nick Emmanwori: Cleared and On Track

The update coming out of Seattle was more fraught — but it resolved in the right direction. Nick Emmanwori began training camp on the physically unable to perform list, a development that immediately raised questions about his availability for the Seahawks' Week 1 matchup against the Patriots.

Then came the news Seahawks fans needed: Emmanwori passed his physical, clearing what was described as a major hurdle toward suiting up for the opener. The second-year safety out of South Carolina had already established himself as a key piece of Mike Macdonald's defensive system — All-22 film analysis published this week underscored just how quickly Emmanwori's instincts and range made him indispensable in Seattle's scheme.

The Sporting News had flagged the situation as a "concerning" update earlier in the week, and the PUP designation was genuinely worrying for a defense that leans heavily on his coverage and communication skills. But clearing the physical puts him on track, and the Seahawks will take it.

Elsewhere in the League

Spencer Rattler is making his own case for relevance in New Orleans, drawing the start for the Saints' preseason opener after Tyler Shough was held out. The former five-star recruit is still searching for his NFL foothold, but a preseason audition under the lights is exactly the kind of opportunity that changes roster conversations.

Over in Green Bay, cornerback Keisean Nixon was highlighted as one of the Packers' most underrated contributors — a "hidden gem" capable of pushing the team deeper into January. Not a bad look for a Gamecock alum flying under the national radar.

South Carolina's NFL footprint is wide. This week, two of its biggest names made sure nobody forgot it.

South Carolina's NFL alumni class rarely makes this much noise in a single week. From blockbuster signings to injury scares and depth-chart battles, Gamecock products are front and center as the 2026 preseason gets underway.

Clowney Is Home Again

The biggest story belongs to Jadeveon Clowney. The former No. 1 overall pick has agreed to return to the Houston Texans — the franchise that drafted him in 2014 — on an $8 million deal. It's a reunion with real teeth: Clowney closed last season with a career-best three-sack game and now slides into a defensive front that already features Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter. The Texans were reportedly fending off interest from the Browns to get the deal done. At this stage of his career, Clowney isn't a reclamation project — he's a proven pass rusher who could make that edge trio genuinely terrifying. Kai Kroeger, South Carolina's other representative in Houston, handles punting duties for the same squad.

Deebo's Homecoming Has Schematic Roots

Deebo Samuel's return to San Francisco is more than a sentimental reunion. According to 49ers GM John Lynch, there were concrete X's and O's reasons for bringing Samuel back into Kyle Shanahan's offense alongside Brock Purdy. Samuel himself was direct about it: "It was a matter of time." The familiarity with the system, the coaching staff, and Purdy made the 49ers the obvious landing spot. Samuel has also been active off the field early in camp, offering support to injured receiver Ricky Pearsall — a sign of the locker room currency he carries back in Santa Clara. Defensive coordinator Raheem Morris even joked that he "hated" Samuel before joining the staff, a testament to how much damage the wideout has done to opposing defenses over the years.

Legette's Injury Clouds Panthers Camp

The news out of Carolina is less encouraging. Xavier Legette, the Panthers' 2024 first-round pick, was carted off the field Tuesday with an upper body injury. No timetable has been provided, but the image of a first-round wideout leaving practice on a cart is never a good sign — especially for a young receiver still working to establish himself at the NFL level. The Panthers could ill afford a setback at the position heading into the preseason. Legette's teammate and fellow Gamecock D.J. Wonnum is also in Carolina's camp, and Jalen Brooks showed out for the Cardinals in the Hall of Fame Game, hauling in a 49-yard bomb from Carson Beck during a 98-yard touchdown drive — a bright spot for the South Carolina wideout corps overall.

Dowdle Fighting for Pittsburgh's Backfield

In Pittsburgh, Rico Dowdle opened camp listed as the No. 2 running back on the Steelers' initial depth chart. But the CBS Sports training camp report raises the question of whether Dowdle could push for the RB1 role as camp progresses. He's not starting yet, but he's clearly in the conversation — and Steelers camp observers have taken notice. Israel Mukuamu, handling safety duties in Pittsburgh, gives the Gamecocks a second presence in the Steel City.

Elsewhere, Javon Kinlaw is drawing attention at Commanders camp, and Tonka Hemingway is "making noise" for the Raiders at defensive tackle, per Yahoo Sports, as Las Vegas leans on its young interior linemen heading into the season. It's a wide, active footprint for South Carolina's NFL family — and the preseason is just getting started.