South Carolina Gamecocks Defensive Back Will Enter the 2026 NFL Draft

South Carolina corner back Brandon Cisse forgoes his final season with the Gamecocks and enter the 2026 NFL Draft, ESPN reports. Cisse is ranked as the 29th overall player on ESPN Field Yates' draft board.

The 6-foot and 190 pound junior out of Sumter, South Carolina, joined the team out of the transfer portal from NC State. Cisse finished his Wolfpack career with 38 tackles, five pass break ups (PBUs), and one interception across two seasons. The young corner immediately made an impression when stepping onto the field for the Gamecocks, earning Newcomer of the Spring honors for the defense and co-Newcomer of the Spring accoades for special teams and ultimately the starting outside corner job.

Cisse's play on the field has endeared him to national draft analysts as many as him within the top five of his position. While the season didn't pan out the way the team and fans wanted, Cisse certainly was one of the few bright spots on the squad in 2025.

First Round Pick Projection

South Carolina star cornerback Brandon Cisse is leaving school early to declare for the NFL draft, he told ESPN. ESPN’s @FieldYates projected him as the No. 29 overall pick in his most recent mock draft. “I’m excited to fulfill my lifelong dream," Cisse told ESPN. pic.twitter.com/JFXLLG8MFA
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 11, 2025

The 2026 NFL Draft is loaded early with top flight corner backs for team's to choose from should they have a need at the position. Cisse joins a list that also includes Tennessee's Jermod McCoy and Colton Hood, LSU's Mansoor Delaney, Clemson's Aveion Terrell, and Penn State's AJ Harris. All six of those players could hear their names called early on the opening night of the NFL Draft.

ESPN first reported the news on Thursday with a quote from Cisse saying "I'm excited to fulfill my lifelong dream." Emerging as one of the top cover corner's in the nation, he told ESPN that the decision is "a special feeling" and something he has "prayed for" his entire life.

Field Yates, NFL Draft analyst for ESPN, released his first opening round mock draft for the 2026 draft on Wednesday. Yates had the Seattle Seahawks dipping back into the South Carolina talent pool and selecting Cisse with the 28th overall pick. Seattle took former Gamecocks safety Nick Emmanwori in the second round last year and he has developed into a potential rookie of the year candidate. Here's what Yates had to say about Cisse.

"Cisse is an ascending corner who showed off impressive man coverage skills after transferring from NC State in the spring. He broke up 10 passes over the past two seasons, allowing a completion percentage under 40% in 2025. He's extremely comfortable lining up opposite bigger-bodied perimeter wide receivers, which could be asked of him in Mike Macdonald's defense."

This won't be the only declaration to come out of South Carolina. Several players will have to make the decision on going to the draft or returning for another season. We will give you those updates and news as soon as they happen on South Carolina Gamecocks on SI.

Join the community:

Follow Alex Joyce on Twitter: @AlexJoyceSI
Follow Joey Walraven on Twitter: @thejoeywalraven

You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the top right-hand corner of the page. Also, be sure to follow us on X at @GamecocksDigest and on Facebook!

You Might Also Like: