South Carolina’s towering safety Nick Emmanwori wasted little time living up to the hype. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound safety, who ranked No. 1 on The Athletic’s Combine Freaks List, broad jumped 11 feet, 6 inches on Friday to go along with a 43-inch vertical jump — both are the top marks at the NFL Scouting Combine this year.
Remember the name Nick Emmanwori: 43″ vert 😳 | 11’6 broad 😳
All we can say is sheeeeesh 🔥 (@visa) pic.twitter.com/NR7pEv8IxE
— NFL (@NFL) February 28, 2025
No defensive back as big as Emmanwori has jumped as high at the combine since 2017, when UConn’s Obi Melifonwu jumped 44 inches.
In 2024, Texas Tech’s Tyler Owens — at 6-foot-2, 215 pounds — broad jumped 12 feet 2 inches and had a 41-inch vertical jump. Owens’ broad jump was the furthest by anyone at the combine since 2020, and he went on to join the Washington Commanders as an undrafted free agent.
Emmanwori’s jump numbers improved from last offseason when he broad-jumped 11-4, vertical-jumped 42 inches and completing 24 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press in addition to squatting 565 pounds. In addition to his jaw-dropping jumps, he also clocked a 4.40 time in the 40-yard dash.
Emmanwori, a former three-star recruit, is projected by several NFL defensive back coaches The Athletic spoke to Indianapolis as a top-40 pick. In 2024, he earned first-team All-American honors after leading the Gamecocks with 88 tackles, to go with four interceptions and three tackles for loss. He turned 21 earlier this month.
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(Photo: Tanner Pearson / Imagn Images)
