Mini-DBU.

It’s a fair assessment at South Carolina considering 18 Gamecocks in the secondary have been drafted during the BCS era including three first-round picks. South Carolina only recently reversed fortunes of its mediocre 100 plus-year history in football due in large part to several contributors listed below.

Who deserves the program’s all-time best defensive back label? That’s up for debate:

Prime candidates

  • Rashad Faison (1999-02): All-time leader in solo tackles in program history with 247
  • KO Simpson (2004-05): Two-time All-American, 2004 SEC Freshman of the Year
  • Chris Major (1983-86): All-time leader in passes defended with 43
  • Brad Edwards (1984-87): All-American, team captain

Worthy challengers

  • Sheldon Brown (1998-01): Respected cover guy, second all-time with 36 passes defended
  • Emanuel Cook (2006-08): Two-time All-SEC, team leader in tackles back-to-back years
  • Bobby Bryant (1964-67): Second all-time with 11 interceptions
  • Tony Watkins (1991-94): Fifth on the school’s all-time tackles list
  • Stephon Gilmore (2009-11): Two-time All-SEC
  • Bo Davies (1969-71): All-time leader in interceptions with 14
  • D.J. Swearinger (2009-12): Fan favorite, feared hitter at safety

Roundtable

Rashad Faison is arguably the Gamecocks’ most consistent player to ever man the safety spot based on his numbers, but there are others who made a more substantial impact on the program during their time in Columbia. Gilmore’s lasting mark, as far as winning is concerned, was far greater. The sought-after corner was a four-star coming out of high school who started the trend of South Carolina-born prospects staying in-state during the Steve Spurrier era (ultimately the winningest in school history).

The Gamecocks won 11 games during Gilmore’s final season in 2011 and followed that up with two more 11-win campaigns thereafter thanks to a handful of seismic in-state signings aided by the Rock Hill, S.C. native as the program’s primary recruiter. Gilmore, a three-year starter and two-time All-SEC first teamer, never lost to Clemson, joining headhunter D.J. Swearinger — two of the few all-time great defensive backs who hold that particular feather in their caps.

Labeling Gilmore as the best-ever is a stretch, though. One could argue KO Simpson, Faison and Bo Davies all produced better individual seasons. Simpson, in fact, was a two-time All-American and was the SEC’s Freshman of the Year in 2004. He left after two seasons and was drafted in the fourth round by the Buffalo Bills, a franchise that eventually picked up Gilmore six years later.