Former South Carolina star DJ Wonnum to sign with NFC North team, per report
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Former South Carolina defensive standout DJ Wonnum is headed back to the NFC North after a pair of seasons with the Carolina Panthers.
Wonnum is set to sign a one-year contract with the Detroit Lions, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. It’s worth up to $6 million.
The 2025 season saw Wonnum healthy once more after missing just under half of 2024 with a left quadriceps injury and several other complications, including blood clots. He ultimately played in 16 games in 2025, ending the year with 42 tackles, three sacks, a fumble recovery, and an interception.
Wonnum now heads up north to Detroit to play for a team he knows all too well, having faced them as a member of the Minnesota Vikings. The Lions, who came one win away from the Super Bowl in 2023 and won 15 regular-season games in 2024, took a step back in 2025 as they played to a 9-8 record and missed the postseason.
The 2020 fourth-round pick began his career at Minnesota after emerging as one of South Carolina’s top defenders. In 2023, his final year with the Vikings, he had a career-high 62 tackles and eight sacks but tore his left quad in Week 17.
He then signed a two-year contract with the Panthers in March 2024, combining for 79 tackles and seven sacks while with the team.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
