# Charles Demmings
**Charles Demmings** (born 2003) is an American professional football cornerback for the [Minnesota Vikings](https://www.edgepedia.org/minnesota-vikings) of the [National Football League](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-football-league), who was selected by the Vikings in the fifth round, 163rd overall, of the 2026 NFL Draft after playing college football at [Stephen F. Austin State University](https://www.edgepedia.org/stephen-f-austin-state-university).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 2003, Mesquite, Texas[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/D/DemmCh00.htm) |
| Physical | 6 feet 1 inch, 193 pounds; 32-inch arms, 10 1/4-inch hands[2](https://www.nfl.com/players/charles-demmings/) |
| College | Stephen F. Austin, 2021 to 2025; 46 games, 37 starts, 63 tackles, 35 passes defensed, 9 interceptions[3](https://www.pff.com/ncaa/players/charles-demmings/150672) • [4](https://www.vikings.com/team/players-roster/charles-demmings/) |
| Draft | Minnesota Vikings, 5th round, 163rd overall, 2026 NFL Draft[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/D/DemmCh00.htm) |
| 2025 honors | First-Team All-Southland Conference; First-Team AFCA FCS All-American; Senior Bowl invitee[5](https://www.si.com/college/fcs/southland/2026-nfl-draft-scouting-report-stephen-f-austin-cb-charles-demmings-fcs-football) |
| Combine marks | 42-inch vertical jump (second among cornerbacks), 11-foot broad jump, 4.41-second 40-yard dash[6](https://www.vikings.com/news/charles-demmings-2026-nfl-draft-5-things-to-know) • [7](https://www.profootballnetwork.com/nfl-draft-hq/prospects/charlie-demmings) |
| NFL status | Rookie (2026); appeared in 3 games for Minnesota[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/D/DemmCh00.htm) |
## Early life and high school
Demmings is from Mesquite, Texas, and attended John Horn High School.[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/D/DemmCh00.htm) • [2](https://www.nfl.com/players/charles-demmings/) He came to football late: he joined the team as a freshman wide receiver, stopped playing for a couple of years, and did not play consistently until rejoining as a senior in 2020, when he moved to cornerback.[4](https://www.vikings.com/team/players-roster/charles-demmings/) In that senior season he recorded 39 tackles, four interceptions, two tackles for loss, one forced fumble, five pass breakups, and a blocked field goal.[6](https://www.vikings.com/news/charles-demmings-2026-nfl-draft-5-things-to-know) He also ran track all four years at Horn, with personal bests of 21 feet 3 inches in the long jump and 48 feet 4.5 inches in the triple jump, and participated in ROTC.[4](https://www.vikings.com/team/players-roster/charles-demmings/)
Outside football, he ran a lawn-mowing business with his father called Twins Lawn Mowing, started after watching his father's coworker mow 18 lawns in a single day; he has said the work taught him detail and discipline.[6](https://www.vikings.com/news/charles-demmings-2026-nfl-draft-5-things-to-know)
## College career at Stephen F. Austin
Demmings redshirted for the Lumberjacks in 2021 and by 2023 was a full-time starter.[6](https://www.vikings.com/news/charles-demmings-2026-nfl-draft-5-things-to-know) Over five seasons at the school he appeared in 46 games with 37 starts, totaling 63 tackles, two for loss, 35 passes defensed, and nine interceptions.[4](https://www.vikings.com/team/players-roster/charles-demmings/) He stayed at the program despite an opportunity to move to an FBS school, citing faith, loyalty, and relationships with teammates.[6](https://www.vikings.com/news/charles-demmings-2026-nfl-draft-5-things-to-know)
His season-by-season record shows steady growth: 18 tackles, 10 passes defensed, and two interceptions as a starter in 2023; a career-high 12 passes defensed with 17 tackles and two interceptions in 10 games in 2024; and 18 tackles, nine passes defensed, and a career-best four interceptions while starting all 12 games in 2025.[4](https://www.vikings.com/team/players-roster/charles-demmings/) He earned Second-Team All-Southland honors in 2024 and First-Team All-Southland in 2025, along with First-Team AFCA FCS All-American recognition in 2025.[4](https://www.vikings.com/team/players-roster/charles-demmings/) • [5](https://www.si.com/college/fcs/southland/2026-nfl-draft-scouting-report-stephen-f-austin-cb-charles-demmings-fcs-football)
Analytics graded his final season highly. [Pro Football Focus](https://www.edgepedia.org/pro-football-focus) gave him a 79.6 overall defensive grade for 2025, 80th among 895 qualified cornerbacks, with an 80.4 coverage grade ranking 81st, and his four interceptions ranked 15th at the position.[3](https://www.pff.com/ncaa/players/charles-demmings/150672) He allowed a 39.8 passer rating when targeted that season.[3](https://www.pff.com/ncaa/players/charles-demmings/150672)
## Draft process
Demmings was the only FCS defensive back invited to the 2026 Panini Senior Bowl, where he competed against top-tier competition, and he accepted an invitation to the [NFL Scouting Combine](https://www.edgepedia.org/nfl-scouting-combine) in [Indianapolis](https://www.edgepedia.org/indianapolis).[6](https://www.vikings.com/news/charles-demmings-2026-nfl-draft-5-things-to-know) • [8](https://www.tomsguide.com/entertainment/sports/watch-senior-bowl-2026) At the combine his 42-inch vertical jump was second best among cornerbacks, and he posted an 11-foot broad jump; his 40-yard dash was timed at 4.41 seconds by Pro Football Network, while NFL.com lists his official time as 4.44 seconds.[6](https://www.vikings.com/news/charles-demmings-2026-nfl-draft-5-things-to-know) • [7](https://www.profootballnetwork.com/nfl-draft-hq/prospects/charlie-demmings) • [2](https://www.nfl.com/players/charles-demmings/)
Scouting reports described a pure coverage corner with good size, very good length, and strong press-man traits, but noted less consistency in off-man and zone coverage and limited experience against FBS opponents.[5](https://www.si.com/college/fcs/southland/2026-nfl-draft-scouting-report-stephen-f-austin-cb-charles-demmings-fcs-football) • [7](https://www.profootballnetwork.com/nfl-draft-hq/prospects/charlie-demmings) • [9](https://www.ourlads.com/nfldepthcharts/player/55115/) [The Vikings](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-vikings) selected him 163rd overall in the fifth round, a pick acquired via a trade with the [Philadelphia Eagles](https://www.edgepedia.org/philadelphia-eagles).[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/D/DemmCh00.htm) • [10](https://www.nfl.com/draft/tracker/2026/prospects/all_stephen-f-austin-state) He became the 37th player in [Stephen F. Austin](https://www.edgepedia.org/stephen-f-austin) history drafted to the NFL and the second Lumberjack drafted by the Vikings, after Robert Pierce in 1970.[4](https://www.vikings.com/team/players-roster/charles-demmings/)
## Professional career
Demmings signed with Minnesota and entered the 2026 season as a rookie.[9](https://www.ourlads.com/nfldepthcharts/player/55115/) He appeared in three games for the Vikings in 2026, against the Packers, Bears, and Buccaneers, all Minnesota wins.[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/D/DemmCh00.htm) PFF recorded 2 defensive snaps for him in the 2026 season, below the threshold for a qualified ranking.[11](https://www.pff.com/nfl/players/charles-demmings/150672)
## Personal life
Demmings prefers the name "Chuck" and has described his Christian faith as central to his identity, saying he uses "prayer as a steering wheel."[6](https://www.vikings.com/news/charles-demmings-2026-nfl-draft-5-things-to-know) He is the son of Kevin and Sheryl Blaylark and has four siblings.[4](https://www.vikings.com/team/players-roster/charles-demmings/) He graduated from Stephen F. Austin in May 2025 with a bachelor's degree in public health and a minor in sociology.[4](https://www.vikings.com/team/players-roster/charles-demmings/)
## References
1. [Charles Demmings, Pro-Football-Reference](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/D/DemmCh00.htm)
2. [Charles Demmings player info, NFL.com](https://www.nfl.com/players/charles-demmings/)
3. [Charles Demmings college stats, PFF](https://www.pff.com/ncaa/players/charles-demmings/150672)
4. [Charles Demmings roster biography, Vikings.com](https://www.vikings.com/team/players-roster/charles-demmings/)
5. [2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Stephen F. Austin CB Charles Demmings, Sports Illustrated](https://www.si.com/college/fcs/southland/2026-nfl-draft-scouting-report-stephen-f-austin-cb-charles-demmings-fcs-football)
6. [5 Things to Know About Vikings 5th Round Draft Pick Charles Demmings, Vikings.com](https://www.vikings.com/news/charles-demmings-2026-nfl-draft-5-things-to-know)
7. [Charlie Demmings draft profile, Pro Football Network](https://www.profootballnetwork.com/nfl-draft-hq/prospects/charlie-demmings)
8. [How to watch Senior Bowl 2026, Tom's Guide](https://www.tomsguide.com/entertainment/sports/watch-senior-bowl-2026)
9. [Charles Demmings, Ourlads](https://www.ourlads.com/nfldepthcharts/player/55115/)
10. [Stephen F. Austin State 2026 draft prospects, NFL.com](https://www.nfl.com/draft/tracker/2026/prospects/all_stephen-f-austin-state)
11. [Charles Demmings NFL stats, PFF](https://www.pff.com/nfl/players/charles-demmings/150672)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Rugby and other football codes › American football players, coaches, and executives › Cornerbacks › Active professional cornerbacks*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license