South Carolina football's top 10 all-time running backs

With spring practice over for South Carolina, Gamecock fans have about four months before their favorite team takes the field again for a game. To help bridge the gap (along with all of the recruiting coverage and summer updates you can read on GamecockCentral.com), GamecockCentral will be running a top-10 players by position series.

First up, we will take a look at the all-time great USC running backs.

Chris Clark, Wes Mitchell, and I have put together our own top 10 lists. Many of the Gamecock Faithful on The Insiders Forum also have taken part in a two-part voting run this week.

Not every great back could make the lists, so it is worth mentioning names like Earl Clary, Warren Muir, Kevin Long, Clarence Williams, Rico Dowdle, Derek Watson, Kent Hagood, Alex Hawkins, King Dixon, Mike Dingle, Rocket Sanders, and Rob DeBoer as additional players brought up during the discussion.

The results of all the voting are below, including a note on each player mentioned:

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Chris Clark

1. George Rogers
2. Marcus Lattimore
3. Brandon Bennett
4. Duce Staley
5. Mike Davis
6. Steve Wadiak
7. Harold Green
8. Kevin Harris
9. Thomas Dendy
10. Cory Boyd

Why George Rogers is No. 1: “Even though Rogers’ USC playing days predate my time covering the program – and my birth – there’s just no argument as to what he accomplished. The numbers – and the non-HD video you can find of him running the football – say all that needs to be said.”

Wes Mitchell

1. George Rogers
2. Marcus Lattimore
3. Brandon Bennett
4. Harold Green
5. Mike Davis
6. Steve Wadiak
7. Thomas Dendy
8. Johnnie Wright
9. Duce Staley
10. Jay Lynn Hodgin

Why George Rogers is No. 1: “Big George played before my time, but his lasting legacy remains as the only Heisman winner in school history. I wish I’d been there to watch him on a game-by-game basis, but from what those who were there will tell you, the whole world knew the rock was going to No. 38, and he still managed to rush for 5,204 yards in his career. He was the definition of ‘built different’ before that was a thing.”

Kevin Miller

1. George Rogers
2. Marcus Lattimore
3. Brandon Bennett
4. Harold Green
5. Steve Wadiak
6. Duce Staley
7. Mike Davis
8. Cory Boyd
9. Thomas Dendy
10. Kevin Harris

Why George Rogers is No. 1: “It doesn’t take much to understand why Rogers is the easy choice for the top spot among South Carolina running backs. Despite beginning his playing career nearly 50 years ago, his film holds up today as belonging to a player with a special combination of size, speed, and power. He used those gifts to amass 2000 more rushing yards than any other player in program history. Oh, yeah, he also won that Heisman thing.”

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The Insiders Forum

1. George Rogers
2. Marcus Lattimore
3. Duce Staley
4. Harold Green
T-5. Brandon Bennett
T-5. Steve Wadiak
7. Mike Davis
8. Ryan Brewer
9. Cory Boyd
10. Thomas Dendy

Notes on the Gamecock Greats

George Rogers: The only Heisman Trophy winner in South Carolina football history–and as Gamecock fans like to reiterate to their rivals, also the only one to play collegiately in the Palmetto State–George Rogers stands head-and-shoulders above everyone else in program history. His 5091 yards on the ground are 2000 more than the team’s second-place number. He’s the only Gamecock with multiple 1000-yard seasons; he had three of them, including the top two totals ever.

Marcus Lattimore: It’s not often that a program’s biggest “what if” is still an all-time great. However, that’s exactly the case for Marcus Lattimore. No. 21 is the program’s all-time leader in touchdowns from scrimmage (41) and rushing touchdowns (38). Despite missing seven games and then having his career cut short by a devastating knee injury (with another year of eligibility remaining), he is sixth in career rushing yards and fifth in career receiving yards among running backs.

Brandon Bennett: Brandon Bennett might be best known for going over the top to down the Georgia Bulldogs in 1992, but the Palmetto State native had a career much bigger than just one moment. He is second in total rushing yards and one of three Gamecocks to lead the team in rushing for four seasons. Bennett also recorded the third-most career receiving yards by any USC running back.

Duce Staley: Duce Staley didn’t play long in garnet and black because he began his career in junior college. However, in just two seasons, the Columbia native logged over 2000 yards of offense and 19 touchdowns. He posted one of just seven 1100-yard rushing seasons in team history in 1996 and was so good that pass-happy head coach Brad Scott had to change his offense to accommodate his substantial ability.

Mike Davis: One of two running backs with the same name, Mike Davis backed up Marcus Lattimore for a season before becoming the man for two years. He was a powerful runner but also possessed major straight-line speed. He is one of five Gamecocks to rush for at least 1000 yards and 10 touchdowns in the same season.

Steve Wadiak: Nicknamed “The Cadillac,” Steve Wadiak was known for his bruising running style. He was the SoCon’s Player of the Year in 1950 and was the first player to have his number retired by the University of South Carolina. Wadiak’s 256 yards against Clemson were the most by a Gamecock against a power conference opponent.

Harold Green: Perhaps the least-talked-about player among the all-time greats to tote the rock at South Carolina, Harold Green’s excellence is still well known. The big ‘back was one of the nation’s leaders in touchdowns from scrimmage during the 1987 season. His 15 scores on the ground that year are tied for the second-most ever by a Gamecock.

Kevin Harris: A more recent inclusion among the ranks of Gamecock greats, Kevin Harris was an unheralded recruit who later became an all-conference performer in the SEC. Built like a bowling ball at 5-10 and 220 pounds, he ran through defenses to the tune of 1138 yards in 10 games as a sophomore. His 243-yard and five-touchdown game against Ole Miss is also the most statistically impressive rushing performance in school history.

Thomas Dendy: Thomas Dendy became the starting running back two years after George Rogers graduated, and he accomplished something that not even Big George did: he led South Carolina in rushing for four seasons. A consistent player on Gamecock teams that liked to spread the wealth in the running back room, Dendy always stood out.

Cory Boyd: Underrated doesn’t begin to describe Cory Boyd. Dangerous both as a rusher and pass-catcher, the New Jersey native is one of two South Carolina running backs with at least 1000 yards rushing and 1000 yards receiving during his career, and he’s the only one with 2000 yards rushing and 1000 yards receiving.

Johnnie Wright: Johnnie Wright played three years in the same backfield as the great George Rogers. Somehow, he still managed to finish his career in the top 10 in program history in rushing yardage. Wright was a bigger back like his running mate, and he used his combination of speed and power to rush for over 2500 yards in his career.

Jay Lynn Hodgin: Part of some multi-headed rushing attacks alongside players like Jeff Grantz, Ron Bass, Kevin Long, and Clarence Williams, Jay Lynn Hodgin logged around 2500 yards and 22 touchdowns in his career despite playing in an era in which freshmen couldn’t play varsity college football.

Ryan Brewer: Ryan Brewer was a do-it-all player and a fan favorite, hence his spot on the fan-vote list. His stats don’t measure up to what his impact was at times with the Gamecocks. He played running back, slot receiver, and multiple special teams roles. His best game came against his home-state Ohio State Buckeyes in the Outback Bowl when he torched them for over 200 yards of offense and three touchdowns.

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