University of South Carolina cornerback Brandon Cisse was selected by the Green Bay Packers with the 20th pick in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft on April 24. He was the first Gamecock player taken in this year’s draft and was chosen as the 52nd overall pick.
Cisse’s selection highlights his performance during his college football career, which included time at both North Carolina State and South Carolina. The defensive back measured 5 feet, 11 and a half inches tall and weighed 189 pounds at South Carolina’s Pro Day in March. Originally from Sumter, South Carolina, Cisse recorded a total of 65 tackles, ten pass breakups, and two interceptions over three seasons.
After transferring to South Carolina for his final season, Cisse quickly made an impact. He earned Newcomer of the Spring honors for defense as well as co-Newcomer accolades for special teams following spring drills. During the 2025 season, he started all twelve games for the Gamecocks—eleven at cornerback and one at nickel—collecting twenty-seven tackles (nineteen solo) and five pass breakups.
Cisse is also notable as the first Gamecock drafted by Green Bay since Kingsley Enagbare was picked in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. His selection continues a trend for South Carolina defensive backs entering professional football; a Gamecock defensive back has been drafted in five out of six recent drafts, with several chosen within the first two rounds including Jaycee Horn (2021), Cam Smith (2023), Nick Emmanwori (2025), Darius Rush (2023), and Marcellas Dial (2024). Since joining their conference, twenty-four defensive backs from South Carolina have been drafted.
The university now marks having had a player selected in twenty-four out of the last twenty-five NFL drafts.
