Israel Mukuamu

Israel Mukuamu
Mukuamu with the South Carolina Gamecocks in 2020
Profile
PositionSafety
Personal information
Born (1999-11-28) November 28, 1999
Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
High schoolParkway (Bossier City, Louisiana)
CollegeSouth Carolina (2018–2020)
NFL draft2021: 6th round, 227th overall pick
Career history
* Offseason or practice squad member only
Awards and highlights
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles42
Fumble recoveries1
Pass deflections4
Interceptions3
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Israel Mukuamu (MOO-kwah-moo;[1] born November 28, 1999) is an American professional football safety. He played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks, and was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL draft.

Early life

Mukuamu grew up in Moncks Corner, South Carolina and originally attended Berkeley Senior High School. As a junior, he helped turn the team into a winning program with a 9-3 record.

His family moved to Bossier City, Louisiana before his senior year and transferred to Parkway High School.[2][3] As a senior, he received All-Southwest Region honors.

He originally committed to play college football at Florida State University, but de-committed after head coach Jimbo Fisher left for Texas A&M University and opted to attend the University of South Carolina instead.[4][5]

College career

As a true freshman in 2018, Mukuamu played in all 13 games with 2 starts, making 17 tackles, two tackles for loss, one interception, one pass broken up and a forced fumble.[6] His first start came at safety in the twelfth game against the University of Akron.

As a sophomore in 2019, he was named the starter at safety for the season opener, before being moved to right cornerback opposite future NFL player Jaycee Horn. He received second-team All-SEC honors after finishing with 13 starts, 59 tackles (2 for loss), four interceptions (led the team) and 9 pass breakups.[7][8][9] He had a standout game in the 20-17 upset win against the third ranked University of Georgia, collecting 11 tackles and 3 interceptions, including one returned for a 53-yard touchdown. He received National Defensive Player of the Week honors for his effort.

As a junior in 2020, Mukuamu played in 6 games with 5 starts at both cornerback and safety. He was limited with a recurring groin injury, recording 10 tackles and 2 interceptions (tied for the team lead). He had a highlight one-handed interception against the University of Florida. On November 17, 2020, following the dismissal of head coach Will Muschamp, Mukuamu opted out of the remainder 3 games of the season to focus on his preparation for the 2021 NFL draft.[10] He finished his college career after appearing in 31 games with 19 starts, while making 86 tackles, 7 interceptions and 10 pass breakups.

College statistics

Year School Conf Class Pos G Tackles INT Pass Def TD
2018 South Carolina SEC FR DB 5 17 1 1 0
2019 South Carolina SEC SO DB 12 59 4 9 1
2020 South Carolina SEC JR DB 5 10 2 0 0
Career 86 7 10 1

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand spanWingspanVertical jumpBroad jumpBench press
6 ft 4+1⁄8 in
(1.93 m)		212 lb
(96 kg)		34 in
(0.86 m)		9+3⁄8 in
(0.24 m)		6 ft 8+3⁄4 in
(2.05 m)		36.5 in
(0.93 m)		9 ft 11 in
(3.02 m)		13 reps
All values from Pro Day[11][12]

Dallas Cowboys

Mukuamu was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the sixth round (227th overall) of the 2021 NFL draft, with the intention of playing him at safety.[13] He signed his four-year rookie contract on May 13, 2021.[14] He appeared in four games playing mostly on special teams and did not record any stat. On January 14, 2022, he was placed on the injured reserve with a hamstring injury, prior to the Wild Card playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers.

In 2022, he appeared in 15 games with 3 starts, registering 16 tackles, one interception and one pass breakup. He was declared inactive in the season finale. In Week 4 against the Washington Commanders, he had 6 tackles and one quarterback pressure. In the latter part of the season he received more playing time, after the Cowboys lost cornerbacks Anthony Brown and Jourdan Lewis, while the inconsistent production of second-year cornerbacks Kelvin Joseph and Nahshon Wright, led to the need of finding alternatives. He had his best performance as a Cowboy in the 31-14 Wild Card playoff victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, when he was forced into the team's nickel cornerback role, making 5 tackles and 2 pass break ups.

In 2023, a hamstring injury caused him to miss most of training camp, falling on the depth chart behind second-year players DaRon Bland, Markquese Bell and Juanyeh Thomas. He appeared in 14 games playing mostly on special teams, posting 5 defensive tackles, one pass breakup, one fumble recovery and one special teams tackle. In Week 10 against the New York Giants, he had 2 tackles and one pass breakup.

In 2024, he remained as a special team player, appearing in 17 games, while registering 16 tackles, 2 interceptions, 2 pass breakups and four special teams tackles. In Week 12 against the Washington Commanders, he had one tackle, one pass breakup and made a game-clinching interception of a Hail Mary attempt as time expired. In Week 15 against the Carolina Panthers, he had 3 tackles, one interception and one pass breakup.

Mukuamu re-signed with the Cowboys on a one-year contract on March 14, 2025.[15] He was released on August 26.[16] He was part of the final cuts so the Cowboys could clear space on the roster to claim defensive backs Reddy Steward and Trikweze Bridges.

Carolina Panthers

On September 8, 2025, Mukuamu was signed to the Carolina Panthers practice squad.[17] He was released by the Panthers on October 7.[18] He re-signed with the Panthers practice squad on November 4.[19] He played in the Week 11 game against the Atlanta Falcons and did not record any stat. He was released on November 18.[20]

Columbus Aviators

On January 14, 2026, Mukuamu was selected by the Columbus Aviators of the United Football League (UFL).[21]

Pittsburgh Steelers

On August 6, 2026, Mukuamu signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers.[22] He was waived with an injury settlement on August 24.[23]

Personal life

His father Muana “Charles” Mukuamu was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and competed in Judo.[24]

References

  1. ↑ "2022 Dallas Cowboys Media Guide" (PDF). NFL.com. National Football League. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  2. ↑ Morale III, Amos (May 5, 2017). "Parkway 2018 S Israel Mukuamu lands new offers in new state". NOLA.com. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  3. ↑ Hadley, Greg (January 22, 2018). "South Carolina football: Israel Mukuamu returns home". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  4. ↑ Kornblut, Phil (December 4, 2017). "Former Berkeley standout Israel Mukuamu decommits from Florida State". Post and Courier. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Israel Mukuamu commits to South Carolina Gamecocks". The State. December 9, 2017. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  6. ↑ Del Bianco, John (August 12, 2019). "Horn, Mukuamu injecting 'contagious' habits, 'nasty' play". 247Sports.com. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  7. ↑ Del Bianco, John (March 7, 2020). "Versatility goes up for Mukuamu if teammates show improvement". 247Sports.com. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  8. ↑ Culpepper, Chuck (October 14, 2019). "College football has a defensive superstar to properly appreciate: Israel Mukuamu". Washington Post. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  9. ↑ Breiner, Ben (April 5, 2020). "Pro Football Focus has Mukuamu as best South Carolina returning player". The State. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  10. ↑ Scarborough, Alex (November 16, 2020). "South Carolina top CBs Jaycee Horn, Israel Mukuamu opt out to focus on NFL draft". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
  11. ↑ "Israel Mukuamu Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  12. ↑ "Israel Mukuamu, South Carolina, CB, 2021 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football". DraftScout.com. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  13. ↑ Phillips, Rob (May 1, 2021). "6th-Round Pick Israel Mukuamu Follows CB Trend". DallasCowboys.com. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  14. ↑ Eatman, Nick (May 13, 2021). "Cowboys Officially Sign 4 Draft Picks Before Camp". DallasCowboys.com. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
  15. ↑ Walker, Patrik; Yarrish, Tommy (March 13, 2025). "Cowboys, Israel Mukuamu agree to terms on one-year deal". DallasCowboys.com.
  16. ↑ Walker, Patrik. "2025 Roster Tracker: Deuce among list of Cowboys cuts". DallasCowboys.com. Retrieved August 27, 2025.
  17. ↑ Gantt, Darin (September 8, 2025). "Panthers add two to practice squad". Panthers.com.
  18. ↑ "Former Cowboys Defnder Gets Cut by Panthers Without Even Playing Game". sportdfw.com. Retrieved October 11, 2025.
  19. ↑ Hill, Kassidy (November 4, 2025). "Panthers make practice squad moves, return three, on Tuesday". Panthers.com.
  20. ↑ Gantt, Darin. "Panthers make practice squad change". panthers.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.
  21. ↑ "Day Two of UFL Draft Introduces New Faces and Ignites the New Era of Spring Football". www.theufl.com. Retrieved January 16, 2026.
  22. ↑ Varley, Teresa. "2026 camp moves: Steelers make moves". Steelers.com. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
  23. ↑ "Steelers make roster moves". Steelers.com. August 24, 2026.
  24. ↑ Breiner, Ben (September 17, 2020). "The hard choice that set in motion Israel Mukuamu's journey to the Gamecocks". The State. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
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