Karon Prunty
| No. 21 – New England Patriots | |
|---|---|
| Position | Cornerback |
| Roster status | Active |
| Personal information | |
| Born | December 24, 2001 |
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Listed weight | 192 lb (87 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | I. C. Norcom (Portsmouth, Virginia) |
| College | Kansas (2020–2021) North Carolina A&T (2022–2024) Wake Forest (2025) |
| NFL draft | 2026: 5th round, 171st overall pick |
| Career history | |
| |
| Awards and highlights | |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Karon Prunty (born December 24, 2001) is an American professional football cornerback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Kansas Jayhawks, North Carolina A&T Aggies and Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Prunty was selected by the Patriots in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL draft.
Early life and high school
Prunty was born on December 24, 2001, and grew up in Portsmouth, Virginia.[1] He attended Oscar F. Smith High School before transferring to I. C. Norcom High School, where he was a top football player.[2] A three-star recruit and the 30th-ranked player in the state by ESPN, he committed to play college football for the Kansas Jayhawks.[1] Prunty also ran track in high school.[3]
College career
Prunty was named a true freshman All-American at Kansas in 2020 after starting every game while posting 26 tackles and 10 pass breakups, the latter total placing him first nationally for true freshmen.[4] He then redshirted during the 2021 season and transferred to the North Carolina A&T Aggies in 2022.[1] With the Aggies in 2022, he posted 30 tackles and four interceptions, being named first-team All-Big South Conference and an honorable mention All-American. He then was named third-team All-Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) in 2023 while totaling 43 tackles and five pass breakups, followed by another third-team All-CAA selection in 2024 after he posted 27 tackles, four passes defended and an interception.[1] Prunty transferred to the Wake Forest Demon Deacons for his final season in 2025 and recorded 23 tackles, eight pass breakups and an interception.[5]
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | Wingspan | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 1+1⁄2 in (1.87 m) |
190 lb (86 kg) |
31+3⁄4 in (0.81 m) |
9+1⁄4 in (0.23 m) |
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
4.45 s | 1.54 s | 2.56 s | 4.20 s | 6.82 s | 33.0 in (0.84 m) |
10 ft 3 in (3.12 m) |
11 reps |
| All values from Pro Day[6] | ||||||||||||
Prunty was selected by the New England Patriots in the fifth round (171st overall) of the 2026 NFL draft.[7]
References
- ^ a b c d "Karon Prunty". Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
- ^ Rubama, Larry (April 21, 2026). "Former Norcom star Karon Prunty among the former local players aiming for NFL draft". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
- ^ Thompson, Khari A. (April 25, 2026). "5 things to know about Patriots fifth-round pick Karon Prunty". Boston.com. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
- ^ Smith, Benton (June 6, 2021). "KU football's standout CB, Karon Prunty announces he's leaving Jayhawks". KUsports.com. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
- ^ Perry, Phil; Goss, Nick (April 25, 2026). "Perry's draft grade: Patriots make 'off-the-radar selection' at CB on Day 3". NBC Sports Boston. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Karon Prunty College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
- ^ "Patriots draft 2026: New England picks CB Karon Prunty in Round 5". Pats Pulpit. April 25, 2026.