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PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers football DL Kyonte Hamilton was selected in the seventh round, pick No. 224, of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans on Saturday. Hamilton becomes the 106th Scarlet Knight to reach the NFL after playing for head coach Greg Schiano.
Hamilton joins Robert Longerbeam as the second RU player selected today, marking the first time since 2022 the Scarlet Knights had multiple players picked in the same year.
Career: Played in 51 games with 31 starts on the defensive line ... saw action at both defensive tackle and defensive end in playing every game since debuting in the season opener as a true freshman ... totaled 110 tackles with 11 for loss and six sacks ... added two pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery ... saw action in three bowl games ... voted honorable mention All-Big Ten by the coaches and media in 2024 ... also competed on the Rutgers wrestling team as a freshman ... a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
2024 Highlights: Started all 13 games on the defensive line (nine at tackle, four at end) ... voted honorable mention All-Big Ten (12/3) by the coaches and media ... named to the Academic All-Big Ten list (12/12) for the third time ... totaled 36 tackles to lead the defensive line with five for loss ... had nine games with multiple stops ... tied for the team lead with four sacks ... added two pass breakups and a fumble recovery ... rated as the sixth-best defensive tackle in the Big Ten by Pro Football Focus ... in on a sack with four stops overall in the Rate Bowl versus Kansas State (12/26) ... batted down a pass in the win at Maryland (11/16) ... added a sack in win over Minnesota (11/9) ... batted down a pass at USC (10/25) ... had a career-best 1.5 sacks with a forced and recovered fumble versus UCLA (10/19) ... recorded five stops against Wisconsin (10/12) ... collected a sack at Nebraska (10/5) ... picked up a career-high eight tackles in win over Washington (9/27) ... added four stops with one for loss at Virginia Tech (9/21) ... posted two tackles versus Akron (9/7).
Draft History: Hamilton becomes the first RU defensive lineman drafted since Kemoko Turay (Indianapolis Colts, second round, pick No. 52) and Sebastian Joseph-Day (Los Angeles Rams, sixth round, pick No. 195) were both taken in 2018 … other previous Scarlet Knight defensive linemen to sign NFL contracts include Isaiah Iton (2024), Ifeanyi Maijeh (2023), Michael Dwumfour (2021), Willington Previlon (2020), Kevin Wilkins (2019), Jamil Merrell (2014), Marcus Thompson (2014), Justin Francis (2012), Eric LeGrand (2012), Jonathan Freeny (2011), Alex Silvestro (2011), George Johnson (2010), Jamaal Westerman (2009), Eric Foster (2008), Ramel Meekins (2007), Val Barnaby (2006), Ryan Neill (2006), Gary Gibson (2005), David Harley (2005), J'Vonne Parker (2005), Raheem Orr (2004) and Wesley Robertson (2001) … Raheem Orr was the last Rutgers player to be drafted by the Texans (2004, round seven, pick No. 210).
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