No. 98 – Carolina Panthers | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Position: | Linebacker | ||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||
Born: | Stone Mountain, Georgia, U.S. | October 31, 1997||||||||||||
Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||||||||
Weight: | 258 lb (117 kg) | ||||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||||
High school: | Stephenson (Stone Mountain, Georgia) | ||||||||||||
College: | South Carolina (2016–2019) | ||||||||||||
NFL draft: | 2020 / Round: 4 / Pick: 117 | ||||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
Career NFL statistics as of 2023 | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR |
Dennis O. "D. J." Wonnum Jr (born October 31, 1997) is an American football linebacker for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks.
Wonnum grew up in Stone Mountain, Georgia, and attended Stephenson High School. [1] As a senior, he was named All-Region after recording 38 tackles with 11 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. Wonnum initially committed to play college football at Iowa State before de-committing after a coaching change. He subsequently committed to attend Indiana before de-committing a second time and signing to play at South Carolina. [2]
Wonnum played in all of South Carolina's games as a true freshman, recording 32 tackles including 3.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. [3] Wonnum was named a permanent team captain going into his sophomore year and finished the season with 57 tackles and led the team with 13.0 tackles for loss and 6.0 sacks. [4] [5] He injured his ankle during the Gamecocks' season opener as a junior, and only played in five games. He compiled 11 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks during the injury-shortened season. [6] [7] As a senior, Wonnum recorded 37 tackles with 9.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks with three quarterback hurries, a forced fumble, one blocked kick, and an interception and was named second-team All-Southeastern Conference. [8] [9]
Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6 ft 4+5⁄8 in (1.95 m) | 258 lb (117 kg) | 34+1⁄8 in (0.87 m) | 10+1⁄2 in (0.27 m) | 4.73 s | 1.70 s | 2.77 s | 4.44 s | 7.25 s | 34.5 in (0.88 m) | 10 ft 3 in (3.12 m) | 20 reps | |
All values from NFL Combine [10] [11] |
Wonnum was selected by the Minnesota Vikings with the 117th overall pick in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. [12]
In Week 4 against the Houston Texans, Wonnum recorded his first career sack on Deshaun Watson during the 31–23 win. [13] In Week 8 against the Green Bay Packers, Wonnum recorded a strip sack on Aaron Rodgers which was recovered by teammate Eric Wilson late in the fourth quarter to secure a 28–22 Vikings' win. [14] In Week 10 against the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football , Wonnum recorded a sack on Nick Foles during the 19–13 win. [15]
On December 27, 2023, Wonnum was placed on the injured reserve list after suffering a season-ending torn quadricep in a week 16 game against the Detroit Lions the previous Sunday. [16] [17]
On March 14, 2024, Wonnum signed a two-year deal with the Carolina Panthers. [18]
Wonnum's younger brother, Dylan, is a starting offensive lineman at South Carolina. [19]
Julius Frazier Peppers is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end and linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels, where he was recognized as a unanimous All-American, and was selected by the Carolina Panthers second overall in the 2002 NFL draft, and also played for the Chicago Bears from 2010 through 2013 and the Green Bay Packers from 2014 to 2016. After rejoining the Panthers for the 2017 season, he retired after the 2018 NFL season.
Captain Lesean Munnerlyn is a former American football cornerback. He played college football at South Carolina for three years. He was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the seventh round, 216th overall of the 2009 NFL draft. Munnerlyn also played for the Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills.
Jasper Jerrell Brinkley is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of South Carolina. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fifth round of 2009 NFL Draft. He has also played for the Arizona Cardinals and New York Giants.
Nicholas Joel Perry is an American former football linebacker who played seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Green Bay Packers. He played college football at USC. Perry was drafted by the Packers in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft.
Harrison Smith, nicknamed "Harry the Hitman", is an American football safety for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and was selected by the Vikings in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft with the 29th overall pick.
Dayarlo Jamal Swearinger Sr. is an American football safety for the DC Defenders of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football at South Carolina and was selected by the Houston Texans in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He has also been a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Redskins, Arizona Cardinals, Oakland Raiders, New Orleans Saints, and Indianapolis Colts.
Preston Demarquis Smith is an American football defensive end for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Mississippi State and was selected by the Washington Redskins in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
Stephen Dian Weatherly is an American football defensive end who is a free agent. He played college football at Vanderbilt. Having nearly completed his degree, Weatherly declared as an early draft entrant following his junior season. He was drafted by the Vikings in the seventh round of the 2016 NFL Draft, and has also been a member of the Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos, and Cleveland Browns.
Eric André Wilson is an American football linebacker for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Northwestern and Cincinnati, and signed with the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2017. He has also played for the Philadelphia Eagles, Houston Texans, and New Orleans Saints.
Jaire Zakar Alexander is an American football cornerback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Louisville, and was selected by the Packers in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft.
Marcus Davenport is an American football defensive end for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at UTSA and was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
Bilal Nichols is an American football defensive end for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Chicago Bears in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He played college football for the Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens.
Taylor Joseph Stallworth is an American football defensive end who is a free agent. He played college football at South Carolina and was signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2018. He has played in the NFL for the Saints, Indianapolis Colts, Kansas City Chiefs, and Houston Texans.
Thomas James Hockenson is an American football tight end for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted in the first round of the 2019 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions. He played college football at Iowa. As a redshirt sophomore in 2018, he was awarded the John Mackey Award as the nation's top tight end in college football.
Keisean Nixon is an American football cornerback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Arizona Western before transferring to South Carolina, and was signed by the Oakland Raiders as an undrafted free agent in 2019.
Kamal Adrian Martin is a former American football linebacker. He played college football at Minnesota, and was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He also played for the Carolina Panthers.
Bravvion Roy is an American football nose tackle for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Baylor, and was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Krystopher Nathaniel Barnes is an American football linebacker for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at UCLA, and originally signed with the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2020.
Jaycee Carrington Horn is an American football cornerback for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at South Carolina and was drafted eighth overall by the Panthers in the 2021 NFL Draft. His father, Joe Horn, played wide receiver in the National Football League in the 1990s and 2000s.
Kingsley Osagie "JJ" Enagbare is an American football defensive end for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at South Carolina.