South Carolina might not have the Heisman Trophy pedigree at the QB position that schools like Oklahoma (who we profiled yesterday) have. But make no mistake — the Gamecocks have had plenty of talented signal-callers make their way through Columbia over the years.
Wednesday, July 9, is South Carolina takeover day over on the SEC Network as we build toward the start of SEC Media Days in Atlanta on Monday, July 14. What better time to take a look back at some great Gamecocks?
Here’s a look back at all the QB Mount Rushmore pieces we’ve done so far as we get closer to the start of SEC Media Days:
And now, without further ado, let’s take a look at the 4 players who make up South Carolina’s QB Mount Rushmore:
Connor Shaw (2010-13)
Connor Shaw is the biggest no-brainer on this list. He started all or parts of the 2011, 2012 and 2013 seasons, during which the Gamecocks won 11 games each year. Those are the only 3 11-win seasons in South Carolina history. The Gamecocks finished in the top 10 of the AP Poll each of those years — their only 3 top-10 AP Poll finishes ever.
He won 27 of those games as a starter, and his 27 QB wins are the most in school history. His 56 touchdown passes rank second all-time at South Carolina, behind only another guy on this list.
When you think of the highs of the Steve Spurrier era, Shaw is synonymous with them. He’s the first entry on our South Carolina QB Mount Rushmore.
Todd Ellis (1986-89)
With 9,953 career pass yards, Ellis is the South Carolina all-time leader in that category. He threw a lot of interceptions (66 compared to 49 TD passes), but he did lead the Gamecocks to 2 8-4 seasons in 1987 and 1988. After Ellis left, it took the Gamecocks until 2000 to win 8 games in a season again.
It’s not often you see a player from the 1980s sitting atop a school’s all-time pass yards leaderboard, so Ellis deserves credit for being ahead of his time as a passer.
Tommy Suggs (1968-70)
Suggs is another South Carolina QB with more career interceptions than TD passes (34 to 40), but that’s understandable given the era he played in. He was a big part of the Gamecocks’ 1969 success, when they went 7-4 overall (including 6-0 in the ACC) and won the ACC title before falling to West Virginia in the Peach Bowl.
That 1969 ACC championship is the Gamecocks’ only conference title in school history, so Suggs gets a spot on this list due to that fact alone.
Steve Taneyhill (1992-95)
Taneyhill is second on the Gamecocks’ all-time list in pass yards, finishing with 8,782. His 62 touchdown passes are a school record. And he only had 37 career interceptions. Not quite a 2-1 TD-to-INT ratio, but better than some of the other South Carolina greats.
He didn’t play during a very successful era of South Carolina football. His only winning season was in 1994 when the Gamecocks went 7-5 and won the Carquest Bowl. But Taneyhill played the game with a lot of passion, put up big numbers, and earns the final spot on the South Carolina Mount Rushmore of QBs.
Honorable Mentions: Stephen Garcia, Dylan Thompson, LaNorris Sellers (yes, already)
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
