Long, explosive edge who arrived in Columbia ready-made — a Freshman All-American with 6.5 sacks and three forced fumbles in 11 games, then a ball-hunting follow-up (33 tackles, 4.5 sacks, three more forced fumbles) as a sophomore. The get-off and bend are the gold standard of the 2027 class, and six forced fumbles in two seasons show a finisher's instinct for ruining possessions, not just plays. However, the sack line has plateaued instead of exploded, and the back injury that fueled offseason surgery chatter is the one variable that could move a top-five pick. The first-round consensus is universal — ESPN, CBS, Fox and PFF all slot him inside the top 15, several inside the top 10 — and the healthy version is the best pro prospect on South Carolina's roster and arguably in the country. A clean medical and a double-digit-sack junior year end the argument.