Ranking The 25 Greatest Players in South Carolina Football History

In 1982, South Carolina fans sitting in the newly constructed upper deck on the East side of Williams-Brice Stadium noticed that if they began to jump up and down enough, they could make the stands sway. 

The expanded section was eventually reinforced to stop it from moving, but not before the rallying cry of “If it ain’t swaying, we ain’t playing” was born.

Although the Gamecocks have experienced only a modest degree of team success during a football history that dates to 1892 and includes stops in the Southern Conference and ACC, along with a stretch of independence before finding their current home in the SEC, their program has produced a number of great players capable of setting that upper deck in motion.

Top 25 South Carolina Gamecocks of All-Time

The list of all-time South Carolina greats includes a Heisman Trophy winner, 2 No. 1 overall NFL Draft picks, 2 College Football Hall of Famers, 5 consensus All-Americans and 9 different 1,000-yard rushers.

Here is Saturday Down South’s ranking of the Gamecocks’ 25 best college football players of all time:

25. Dan Reeves, QB (1962-64)

Before becoming a Hall of Fame coach who went to 3 Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons, Reeves was an All-ACC quarterback for the Gamecocks. He started in all 3 of his varsity seasons and despite winning only 8 games during that span, he ended his college career as South Carolina’s leading passer with 2,561 career yards and 16 touchdowns. He also recorded 3 games with 100-plus rushing yards, foreshadowing his transition to running back as a professional with the Dallas Cowboys.

24. Brandon Bennett, RB (1991-1994)

Bennett leaped his way into legendary status by vaulting over a pile of Georgia Bulldogs into the end zone in Athens for the winning touchdown with 2 seconds remaining in 1993. It was the highlight of a productive career that saw him run for 2,983 yards – the second-most in South Carolina history – while also setting a school record for running backs with 101 receptions. Bennett also holds the Gamecocks’ single-game rushing mark by rolling up 278 yards against East Tennessee State in 1991.

23. Brad Edwards, CB (1984-1987)

Edwards was a lockdown cover corner whose 8 interceptions in 1987 led the nation and were 1 off the school record. He also led the team with 130 tackles. Edwards returned 3 of his 10 career interceptions for touchdowns, including 2 against bitter rival Clemson – a 64-yarder on a botched field goal attempt in 1986 and a 40-yard pick-6 to clinch a 20-6 win in 1987. After a productive NFL career that included a Super Bowl championship with the Washington Redskins, Edwards returned to South Carolina to serve as a senior associate athletic director.

22. Rashad Faison, S (1999-2002)

Arguably the best tackler ever to play for the Gamecocks, Faison’s 247 unassisted tackles are the most in program history. He finished his career with 349 total tackles, with 27.5 for losses. As impactful as the 5-9, 180-pound safety was at bringing down ballcarriers, he was equally as adept in pass coverage. His 25 career pass breakups rank among the top 10 in school history.

21. Jeff Grantz, QB (1973-75)

A true dual-threat quarterback, Grantz is 1 of only 3 Gamecocks to amass more than 5,000 yards of total offense in his career. He threw for 3,440 yards and ran for 1,577. His combined responsibility for 52 touchdowns (26 passing, 12 rushing) ranks No. 5 on South Carolina’s all-time list. His crowning moment as a Gamecock came in his senior season against rival Clemson, when he threw for 5 touchdowns and ran for another in a 56-20 rout of the Tigers. In addition to his success on the football field, Grantz was also the starting shortstop on a baseball team that advanced to the championship game of the 1975 College World Series.

20. Bobby Bryant, CB (1964-1966)

Bryant is the only South Carolina player to win the Anthony J. McKelvin Award as the ACC’s Most Outstanding Athlete. He won the award after a senior year in which he earned first-team All-American honors as a defensive back in football while also becoming the first South Carolina pitcher to strike out 100 batters in a season. In addition to intercepting 11 passes in his career, Bryant was also an outstanding return man, who spoiled the dedication of NC State’s new stadium in 1966 by returning a punt 98 yards for a touchdown in what proved to be the Gamecocks’ only win that season. His 14-year NFL career is the longest by a former South Carolina player.

19. Skai Moore, LB (2013-2017)

Moore was a versatile linebacker who not only led the Gamecocks in tackles in each of his 4 seasons, he also intercepted 14 passes, tying a school record previously set by Bo Davies in the early 1970s. Moore ranks sixth in South Carolina history with 353 career tackles, with 20.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. His greatest strength was his knack for making big plays in key situations, as he did with an interception in the end zone to clinch a season-opening win against North Carolina in 2015.

18. James Seawright, LB (1981-1984)

The heart and soul of South Carolina’s legendary “Fire Ants Defense,” was the leading tackler on coach Joe Morrison’s 1984 “Black Magic” team that rose as high as No. 2 in the national rankings and produced the school’s first 10-win season. He made 133 tackles that season, including a school record 29 in a win against NC State, earning first-team All-American recognition. Seawright’s 364 career tackles rank No. 4 in program history.

17. Tommy Suggs, QB (1968-1970)

Suggs holds the distinction of quarterbacking the Gamecocks to their only ACC championship in 1969 when he led his team to a perfect 6-0 conference record and a trip to the Peach Bowl. Suggs’ 5 touchdown passes in a win against Virginia in 1968 remained a school record until Spencer Rattler threw for 6 against Tennessee in 2022. Suggs threw for 4,916 yards and 34 touchdowns, capping his career with an MVP performance in the 1970 Blue-Gray All-Star Game. He is best known today as the long-time color analyst on the South Carolina radio network and for being the idea man behind the Gamecocks’ iconic pregame entrance to the theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey.

16. Bryan Edwards, WR ( 2016-2019)

Edwards wasn’t as flashy as some of the other receivers named here. But the 4-star receiver, who had the distinction of being Will Muschamp’s first recruit at South Carolina, was the model of consistency through a 4-year career that made him the most prolific pass-catcher in school history. Edwards caught at least 1 pass in all 48 games he played in Garnet and Black and he left as a third-round NFL Draft pick of the Los Angeles Raiders as the Gamecocks’ all-time leader in receptions with 234 and receiving yards with 3,045 while ranking third in receiving touchdowns with 22.

15. Deebo Samuel, WR (2015-2018)

Samuel was the ultimate Swiss Army Knife during his 4 seasons in Columbia. He was an explosive playmaker whose versatile skill set helped make him a threat to score every time he touched the ball. And he touched it in virtually every way possible. Of Samuel’s 30 career touchdowns – a total that ranks No. 4 in school history – 16 were receiving, 7 rushing, 4 on kick returns and 1 on a fumble recovery. He also threw for 2 scores on his way to becoming a second-round draft pick of the San Francisco 49ers.

14. Andrew Provence, DE (1980-1982)

The most dominant defensive player of the Jim Carlen era, Provence led the Gamecocks in tackles in both 1981 and 1982 while setting what was then a school record with 10 sacks as a senior. His 401 total tackles and 26 sacks helped earn him induction into the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame and a spot on the school’s Modern Era All-Time Team. Both figures are still the second-most in program history.

13. Steve Wadiak, RB (1948-1951)

Known as “The Cadillac,” Wadiak was a hard-nosed running back who put up numbers that are impressive in any era. But they are especially eye-catching because of the style of football that was played in the late 1940s and the fact that his team played only 9 games per season. He still ranks No. 4 on the school’s all-time rushing list with 2,878 yards. His 96-yard touchdown run against George Washington in 1950 remains the longest rushing play in school history and his 256 yards against Clemson that same season are the most ever by a Gamecock against the Tigers. A second-team All-American in 1951, Wadiak died in a car wreck at the age of 24. His No. 37 was the first to be retired by South Carolina.

12. Melvin Ingram, DL (2007, 2009-2011)

Ingram’s senior season of 2011 was one of the best, if not the best, by a defensive player in South Carolina history. He recorded 10 sacks, 15 tackles for loss, intercepted 2 passes and scored 3 touchdowns, including on a 68-yard fake punt to help beat Georgia in Athens, It was a performance that earned Ingram consensus All-American honors and capped a career that saw him rank among the Gamecocks’ all-time leaders with 21.5 sacks and 30.5 TFLs. Ingram became a first-round selection of the San Diego Chargers and went on to play 12 seasons in the NFL

11. Todd Ellis, QB (1986-1989)

The most prolific passer in program history, Ellis set more than 20 school records during his tenure including most career passing yards (9.953). The Gamecocks played in 2 bowl games during his tenure, the 1987 Gator and 1988 Liberty, and were ranked as high as No. 15 in the final national polls in his sophomore season. A popular player who was named team MVP in 3 of his 4 seasons, he was the first South Carolina QB to throw for 3,000 yards in a season and is 1 of only 2 Gamecocks to top 3,000 yards twice. Ellis went on to earn a law degree from South Carolina and currently serves as the school’s radio play-by-play announcer.

10. Steve Taneyhill, QB (1992-1995)

The Gamecocks ushered in a new era with their entry into the SEC in 1992 and no one embodied the energy surrounding the transition more than Taneyhill. A flamboyant quarterback with a trademark ponytail protruding from his helmet, he made an immediate splash by earning SEC Offensive Freshman of the Year in 1992. Four seasons later, he led South Carolina to a 24-21 win against West Virginia in the 1995 Carquest Bowl for the program’s first-ever bowl victory. In between, he threw for 8,782 yards and a school-record 61 touchdowns to cement his place in Gamecock lore.

9. Marcus Lattimore, RB (2010-2012)

There’s no telling how high Lattimore might have ranked on this list had he been able to stay healthy for his entire career. As it is, he still produced nearly 3,500 yards of total offense, including 2,677 on the ground, while breaking George Rogers’ school record of 38 rushing touchdowns before suffering a gruesome knee injury against Tennessee 9 games into his junior season. He was especially effective against Georgia, producing over 500 yards and 4 touchdowns in his 3 games against the Bulldogs. His 1,197 yards as a freshman in 2010 tops the list of 1,000-yard rushers during South Carolina’s SEC era.

8. John Abraham, DE (1996-1999)

Despite having played only 1 season of high school football, Abraham quickly blossomed into an elite pass rusher. He was nearly impossible for opposing linemen to block at 6-4, 263 pounds with sprinter’s speed that helped him set state prep records in the 100 and 200. He used those attributes to lead the Gamecocks in sacks 4 times on his way to a career total of 23.5 before going on to play 15 seasons in the NFL, where he earned 3 All-Pro and 5 Pro Bowl selections.

7. Stephon Gilmore, CB (2009-2011)

It’s rare for a true freshman to step in and become an immediate starter at an SEC school, especially at a key position like cornerback. But that’s what Gilmore did. He started all 40 games he played at South Carolina, earning Freshman All-American honors to set the tone for a career that saw him make 181 tackles, pick off 8 passes with 1 touchdown, and 4 fumble recoveries. Gilmore was so talented that he also saw time on offense, completing a touchdown pass to Alshon Jeffery in the 2010 Chik-fil-A Bowl. As good as Gilmore was in college, he was even better as a pro. He is a 5-time Pro Bowler who was named NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2019.

6. Eric Norwood, DE/LB (2006-2009)

Norwood started his Gamecock career as an undersized defensive end, earning Freshman All-American honors by leading the team with 7.0 sacks and 5.0 hurries during his rookie season. He followed that up with an equally dominant sophomore season highlighted by a game against Kentucky in which he returned 2 fumbles for touchdowns before switching to linebacker as a junior. Norwood finished his career as South Carolina’s all-time leader in sacks with 29 and tackles for loss with 54.5. He also blocked 3 kicks while earning first-team All-American honors as a senior in 2009.

5. Alshon Jeffery, WR (2009-2011)

Jeffery was the Gamecocks’ all-time leading receiver when he left for the NFL Draft after his junior season. The 2-time All-American was at his best at using his size (6-3, 216 pounds) to make contested catches while playing a major role in helping South Carolina make its only SEC Championship Game appearance in 2010. Jeffery set single-season school records with 88 catches and 1,517 yards that year. He finished his career with 183 catches, 3,042 yards and 23 touchdowns before going on to win a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles.

4. Sterling Sharpe, WR (1983, 1985-1987)

One of the most decorated and beloved players in program history, he was twice named an All-American while teaming with quarterback Todd Ellis to put up record receiving numbers. He compiled since-broken school records with 169 career catches, 2,497 yards and 17 touchdowns. His 104-yard kickoff return against Duke in 1985 is the longest play of any kind by a Gamecock. Sharpe is the only Gamecock player to be inducted into the College and Pro football halls of fame after going on to an equally impressive NFL career with the Green Bay Packers. His No. 2 was retired on his Senior Day in 1987, making him only the second South Carolina Player to earn that honor while still playing.

3. Connor Shaw, QB (2010-2013)

Forget the statistics. Simply put, Connor Shaw was a winner. The most accomplished winner ever to wear a Gamecocks uniform, to be exact. He earned his spot on South Carolina’s Mount Rushmore by going 27-5 as a starter during a run of 3 straight 11-win seasons, the best in school history. He also went 17-0 in his career at Williams-Brice Stadium and was undefeated against rival Clemson. And his stats weren’t bad, either. Shaw is No. 2 on the school’s all-time list with 56 touchdown passes and a completion percentage of .655 while his 6,074 passing yards rank No. 6.  

2. Jadeveon Clowney, DE (2011-2013)

Clowney is best remembered for his helmet-ejecting hit on Michigan’s Vincent Smith that turned the tide in the Jan. 1, 2013 Outback Bowl. But his legacy with the Gamecocks goes much deeper than that singular moment. An intimidating combination of quickness and toughness, Clowney was a quarterback’s worst nightmare. He holds the school records for sacks in a game (4.5 against Clemson’s Tajh Boyd in 2012) and a season (13.0, also in 2012) while his 24 career sacks are No. 3 in Gamecocks history, despite regularly facing double- and triple-team blocking and having played only 3 seasons. The 6-6, 274-pound All-American was selected by the Houston Texans as the No, 1 overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. 

1. George Rogers, RB (1977-80)

South Carolina’s only Heisman Trophy winner, “Big George” was a punishing runner equally adept at running past defenders as he was running through them. The 6-2, 228-pound running back rushed for 5,204 yards in his 4 seasons with the Gamecocks, over 2,000 more than anyone else in school history. His 1,894 yards (including bowl totals) in his Heisman season of 1980 is also a school record while his 31 career rushing touchdowns rank second all-time. Rogers was the first overall pick in the 1980 NFL Draft and went on to earn All-Pro honors as a rookie with the New Orleans Saints.

Brett Friedlander

Award-winning columnist Brett Friedlander has covered the ACC and college basketball since the 1980s.