Scouting Profile: Nick Emmanwori - SAF - South Carolina
Sales Pitch: Explosive DB with the size of a small linebacker. Coverage limitations will be a concern for some teams but he brings a rare blend of size and speed for the position.
*Gold Numbers Indicate NCAA T-25 for 2024*
Scouting Report
Nick Emmanwori is a former 3-Star recruit from the state of South Carolina. He was a middle linebacker in high school before moving to safety for the Gamecocks. In his three years at South Carolina Emmanwori started 36 games, logging over 700 snaps and 60 tackles in each campaign. He was a Freshman All-American in 2022 and 1st Team All-SEC and All-American in 2024.
Emmanwori is a long explosive defender with the build of a small linebacker. Given his massive frame it’s no surprise he spent a majority of his time in the box. He has the size and strength to take on blocks at the point of attack and runs through WR’s blocks out in space. Emmanwori’s massive wingspan gives him an incredible tackling radius to take down ballcarriers. Combined with his plus long speed it makes him a rangy pursuit defender at both the 2nd and 3rd levels. Man coverage isn’t Emmanwori’s strong suit but he does have the size and length to match up with TE’s one on one. He is at his best in coverage as an underneath zone defender. Emmanwori shows good awareness and instincts to take away throwing lanes underneath. He does an excellent job turning to find 2nd level crossers off of play action as well. Emmanwori doesn’t project to spend a lot of time at deep safety but when he does. he is best in Quarters coverage or Cover-2 aligned to the boundary side where he can attack routes in front of him. In 2024 he saw a spike in ball production with 4 INTs and 3 PBUS. His length and closing speed allow him to make plays on the ball attacking downhill.
Emmanwori’s massive frame limits his ability to move in space. He has long legs and stiff hips which limit his change of direction quickness. He can get stuck in his back pedal as a deep safety which greatly limits his range attacking routes along the sideline. Emmanwori should not be asked to play in a man coverage scheme, he lacks the movement skills to match up with wide receivers one on one from the slot. Despite his impressive size Emmanwori doesn’t defend the run at a particularly high level. He struggles to diagnose the run coming downhill and in traffic. This results in him being more passive than a player with his physical skillset should be. He will need to improve his processing skills at the next level to full take advantage of his tools. He can also struggle with tackling ball carriers out in space. His long frame is difficult to quickly throttle down, resulting in a fair amount of out of control close outs.
Emmanwori profiles as a box safety in a zone coverage scheme. He will play a majority of his snaps in the box or slot (in nickel) but can play some deep safety for a Quarters heavy team. Emmanwori won’t be for every team due his limitations in coverage but he projects as a Day-2 pick for teams looking for an enforcing box safety.