about
He wasn’t even yet a junior at Berkeley High School in Moncks Corner, but he faced a decision that was going to change the course of his future. It meant living apart from his dad, Muana “Charles” Mukuamu, for a year, while looking to solidify his football future.
“It was pretty hard because I got my first offer that summer going into my junior year,” Mukuamu said. “So I felt like if we were to move right then and there, it was going to kind of mess things up.”
Lined up on the outside, Israel Mukuamu’s combination of athleticism, instincts and a rare 6’4” frame makes him every quarterback’s worst nightmare. Very few cornerbacks possess his ability to force interceptions, as his ball hawking skills are largely unmatched. Israel’s set of skills and intangibles led Todd McShay to ranking him as the 25th best college football prospect going into the 2020 season.
As a true freshman in 2018, Israel came into college ranked as the 19th-best player out of Louisiana and 35th-best safety in the country. Immediately, he showed why he was so highly sought after, as he finished his freshman campaign with two interceptions. Off the field, Israel takes pride in his education, majoring in Sport and Entertainment Management, and his hard work led to him making the First-Year SEC Academic Honor Roll.
When work took Charles Mukuamu to Louisiana, the family stayed behind in South Carolina. An older brother filled in some of their father’s responsibilities until their situation was on more stable ground and the family could reunite. Israel Mukuamu played a final season at Berkeley before moving to Louisiana his senior year of high school. Plans to play college football at Florida State were upended. Eventually he returned to the Palmetto State to play for Will Muschamp, the man who extended his first scholarship offer. Now a South Carolina Gamecock, he’s generating NFL Draft buzz and looking forward to a third year in Columbia. He’s grown a lot in the past two years, faced the rigors of college football on the field and off. But he’s always had a support system of family and coaches, and that helped carry him through time with a family split by almost 900 miles of distance.
In 2019, Israel truly broke out, forcing four interceptions, one of which was a crucial pick-six. Most notably, Israel rose to national-level attention when he forced three interceptions from the hand of current NFL quarterback, Jake Fromm, one of which was returned for a touchdown, thereby helping the Gamecocks pull off an unlikely upset over third ranked Georgia. Without a doubt, he would end up winning National Defensive Player of the Week after that stellar game. At the end of the year, Israel finished with the second most interceptions and the fifth most pass breakups in the SEC. His efforts on the field landed him a spot on the All-SEC second team, while his continued efforts in the classroom earned him yet another selection to the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll.
Choosing to play football wasn’t the easiest decision for Israel, however. As a junior in high school, Israel was forced to choose between living with his father, Muana “Charles” Mukuamu, or leaving him for a year to play football at his current school. He was attending Berkley High School in Moncks, South Carolina at the time, but made the choice to transfer to Parkway High School in Bossier City, Louisiana, where he was reunited with his family. Israel built a formidable resume at Berkley, but ultimately chose to be with family, even if it meant hitting the reset button on his football career. Finishing his senior year at Parkway, Israel committed to Will Muschamp and the Gamecocks, the school that had given Israel his first scholarship offer.
In 2019, Israel truly broke out, forcing four interceptions, one of which was a crucial pick-six. Most notably, Israel rose to national-level attention when he forced three interceptions from the hand of current NFL quarterback, Jake Fromm, one of which was returned for a touchdown, thereby helping the Gamecocks pull off an unlikely upset over third ranked Georgia. Without a doubt, he would end up winning National Defensive Player of the Week after that stellar game. At the end of the year, Israel finished with the second most interceptions and the fifth most pass breakups in the SEC. His efforts on the field landed him a spot on the All-SEC second team, while his continued efforts in the classroom earned him yet another selection to the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll.
Choosing to play football wasn’t the easiest decision for Israel, however. As a junior in high school, Israel was forced to choose between living with his father, Muana “Charles” Mukuamu, or leaving him for a year to play football at his current school. He was attending Berkley High School in Moncks, South Carolina at the time, but made the choice to transfer to Parkway High School in Bossier City, Louisiana, where he was reunited with his family. Israel built a formidable resume at Berkley, but ultimately chose to be with family, even if it meant hitting the reset button on his football career. Finishing his senior year at Parkway, Israel committed to Will Muschamp and the Gamecocks, the school that had given Israel his first scholarship offer. Now, Israel has his eyes set on taking his talents to the NFL, as his skillset and previous success against top flight quarterbacks and receivers has shown that he has the skills to become a shutdown cornerback in the NFL.
Now, Israel has his eyes set on taking his talents to the NFL, as his skillset and previous success against top flight quarterbacks and receivers has shown that he has the skills to become a shutdown cornerback in the NFL.
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