Kyle Kennard
| No. 54 – Los Angeles Chargers | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Linebacker |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | December 12, 2001 Flint, Michigan, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Weight: | 254 lb (115 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Riverwood (Sandy Springs, Georgia) |
| College: |
|
| NFL draft: | 2025: 4th round, 125th pick |
| Career history | |
| |
| Roster status: | Active |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Kyle M. Kennard (born December 12, 2001) is an American professional football linebacker for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and South Carolina Gamecocks. Kennard was selected by the Chargers in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL draft.
Early life
[edit]Kennard was born on December 12, 2001 in Flint, Michigan.[1] Kennard's family moved to Georgia when he was 9 and he attended Riverwood International Charter School in Sandy Springs, Georgia.[2] Coming out of high school, he was rated as a three-star recruit and committed to play college football for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.[3]
College career
[edit]Georgia Tech
[edit]In his first two seasons in 2020 and 2021, Kennard recorded 25 tackles with six being for a loss and four and a half sacks.[4][5] During the 2022 season, Kennard played in twelve games for the Yellow Jackets while making nine starts, where he totaled 36 tackles with four and a half being for a loss, and two sacks.[6] In week two of the 2023 season, Kennard was named the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) defensive lineman of the week after notching five tackles with half of one being for a loss, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and an interception, in a win over the South Carolina State Bulldogs.[7] In week four, he would once again be named the ACC defensive lineman of the week after recording four sacks and a forced fumble versus Wake Forest.[8] Kennard finished the 2023 season tallying 54 tackles with 11 being for a loss, six sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and an interception.[9] After the conclusion of the 2023 season, Kennard entered the NCAA transfer portal.[10]
South Carolina
[edit]Kennard transferred to play for the South Carolina Gamecocks.[2] In his first game as a Gamecock in week one of the 2024 season, he notched five tackles, two and a half sacks, and two forced fumbles, as he helped South Carolina to a win over Old Dominion.[11] He also holds the #2 spot for program single season sacks with 11.5, trailing only Jadeveon Clowney who recorded 13 in 2012. Kennard was named the Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner as the top defensive player in college football.[12]
College statistics
[edit]| Season | GP | Tackles | Fumbles | Interceptions | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | FF | FR | Yds | TD | Int | Yds | TD | PD | ||||
| Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets | |||||||||||||||
| 2020 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 2.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2021 | 12 | 15 | 5 | 10 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2022 | 12 | 36 | 19 | 17 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2023 | 12 | 54 | 32 | 22 | 6.0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 0 | ||
| South Carolina Gamecocks | |||||||||||||||
| 2024 | 12 | 28 | 20 | 8 | 11.5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Career | 54 | 143 | 84 | 59 | 24.0 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 1 | ||
Professional career
[edit]| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | Bench press | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
254 lb (115 kg) |
34 in (0.86 m) |
9+3⁄4 in (0.25 m) |
4.73 s | 1.63 s | 2.74 s | 23 reps | |||||
| All values from NFL Combine[13][14] | ||||||||||||
Kennard was selected with the 125th pick by the Los Angeles Chargers, in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL draft.[15]
References
[edit]- ^ Brugler, Dane. "The Beast: 2025 NFL Draft Guide" (PDF). The Athletic. pp. 296–297. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
- ^ a b Dearing, Chris. "How Kyle Kennard went from Gamecocks newcomer to team leader in first months on campus". The State. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
- ^ Sugiura, Ken (June 12, 2019). "Riverwood DL Kyle Kennard gives commitment to Georgia Tech". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
- ^ Kaye, Jordan. "South Carolina Football: Kyle Kennard commits to USC". The State. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
- ^ "Kyle Kennard". Sports Reference. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
- ^ Clark, Chris (December 15, 2023). "South Carolina lands transfer portal EDGE Kyle Kennard". On3.com. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
- ^ Bishop, Chad. "Georgia Tech's Kyle Kennard named ACC defensive lineman of the week". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
- ^ Vigliotta, Emillie. "Transfer edge rusher Kyle Kennard's impact felt on Gamecocks' defensive line". The Daily Gamecock. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
- ^ Adams, Emily (December 15, 2023). "Shane Beamer adds Georgia Tech transfer Kyle Kennard for South Carolina football defensive line". Greenville Online. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
- ^ Caudell, Jackson (December 15, 2023). "Former Georgia Tech Defensive End Kyle Kennard Commits to South Carolina". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
- ^ Butt, Peyton (September 5, 2024). "Kyle Kennard and South Carolina defense looking to 'put their foot on the gas' ahead of Kentucky". On3.com. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
- ^ "Kyle Kennard Wins the 2024 Bronco Nagurski Trophy". University of South Carolina Athletics. December 9, 2024. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
- ^ "Kyle Kennard Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
- ^ "Kyle Kennard College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
- ^ "Chargers Select South Carolina Edge Rusher Kyle Kennard in Round 4 of 2025 NFL Draft". Chargers.com. Retrieved April 26, 2025.