Justin Okoronkwo

International player from Germany who matriculated to Columbia after a one-year stint at Alabama… begins his second season with the Gamecocks in 2026… standout athlete with tons of upside… still just learning the game of football after primarily playing soccer as a youth. 2025 (Sophomore) Second-year player who was in his first year at South Carolina after joining the squad in January… appeared in all 12 games making eight starts at the WILL linebacker position… moved into the starting lineup in Game 4 at Missouri and started eight of the final nine contests… did not start the Ole Miss game due to injury… tied DQ Smith for the team lead in tackles with 64… collected 4.0 tackles for loss, two quarterback hurries, a pass break up and an interception… recorded a season- and career-high nine tackles at Texas A&M and matched that with nine stops the following week against Coastal Carolina… notched at least three tackles in every game… had two of his four TFLs against Ole Miss… first career pick came against Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia… served as a team captain against Texas A&M. 2024 (Freshman) Saw action in all 13 games for Alabama at linebacker and on special teams… totaled 14 stops, including half a tackle for a loss… saw his first collegiate action against Western Kentucky… recorded his first tackle against USF on kickoff coverage… credited with two stops on defense in the win at Wisconsin… put together a big day against Missouri, notching five tackles on defense including a half-tackle for loss… added two tackles from his linebacker post while continuing his work on special teams against Mercer. HIGH SCHOOL Attended Therese von Bayern School in Munich, Germany… learned to play football with club teams… considered the top-ranked player from Germany by all major outlets… selected to the All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas. PERSONAL Justin Okoronkwo was born March 1, 2003 in Germany… is a sport and entertainment management major… grew up doing gymnastics and playing soccer.