South Carolina football's top 10 all-time offensive linemen

With spring practice over for South Carolina, Gamecock fans have about three-and-a-half 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, we took a look at the all-time great USC running backs.

Then, we voted on the best Carolina wide receivers in program history.

Next up was voting for the top tight ends in South Carolina history.

Now, this week, we move to the offensive line.

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 offensive linemen made the lists. Guys like Sadarius Hutcherson, Ronald Patrick, Cedric Williams, Corey Robertson, Na’Shan Goddard, Mike McCabe, Rusty Russell, and Sam Deluca were additional players brought up during the discussion.

*A cool note about the offensive line voting: almost every player that made any of the lists (from Chris, Wes, me, or the Insiders Forum) is from the state of South Carolina.*

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

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Chris Clark

1. Travelle Wharton
2. AJ Cann
3. Del Wilkes
4. Ernest Dye
5. TJ Johnson
6. Jamar Nesbit
7. Corey Louchiey
8. Brandon Shell
9. Dennis Daley
10. Lou Sossamon

Why Travelle Wharton is No. 1: “Wharton’s the easy pick for me. Yes, there’s some recency bias, because he played in the modern era. He’s not the highest pick in school history for an offensive lineman. But he started 45 games, was an impact player during his time in Columbia, and was a third-round selection before before spending years in the NFL and beginning his coaching career.”

Wes Mitchell

1. Travelle Wharton
2. AJ Cann
3. Del Wilkes
4. Jamar Nesbit
5. Ernest Dye
6. Ed Pitts
7. Melvin Paige
8. TJ Johnson
9. Brandon Shell
10. Lou Sossamon

Why Travelle Wharton is No. 1: “You could make a case here for Del Wilkes, who is the only consensus All-American on this list, AJ Cann for his consistency, or Jamar Nesbitt, who was a three-time All-SEC performer. But with a slight nudge from the other guys’ picks, I went with Wharton, who did not allow a sack for 45 straight games.”

Kevin Miller

1. Travelle Wharton
2. AJ Cann
3. Del Wilkes
4. Jamar Nesbitt
5. TJ Johnson
6. Ernest Dye
7. Zack Bailey
8. Ed Pitts
9. Frank Mincevich
10. Lou Sossaman

Why Travelle Wharton is No. 1: “Travelle Wharton combines high-end production, consistency, and four years of dominance better than any offensive lineman in South Carolina football history. Wharton also excelled at the mental side of the game, a notion supported by what has turned into a long coaching career at both the collegiate and NFL levels. While several other players belong in the conversation as the top Gamecock blocker, the man who anchored the left side of the offensive line during the program’s rebirth under Lou Holtz deserves the top spot.”

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The Insiders Forum

Votes in parentheses

1. Travelle Wharton (47)
T-2. AJ Cann (34)
T-2. Brandon Shell (34)
4. TJ Johnson (32)
5. Steve Courson (29)
6. Jamar Nesbit (26)
T-7. Del Wilkes (18)
T-7. Ernest Dye (18)
9. George Scherchterly (12)
10. Chuck Slaughter (10)

Notes on the Gamecock Greats

Travelle Wharton: Travelle Wharton wasn’t the biggest offensive tackle to come through South Carolina, but he was the best. He was a ferocious competitor and a high-character person. Following the second game of his freshman year, Wharton went 45 consecutive contests without allowing a sack. He earned Freshman All-American honors in 2000 and made a pair of All-SEC teams, though, he deserved more accolades. The Palmetto State native also played in the NFL for 10 years, primarily with the local Carolina Panthers. He has coached professionally for seven years since a one-year stint coaching at USC.

AJ Cann: Another South Carolina native, AJ Cann was a dominant force on the interior of some good Gamecock offensive lines. Big No. 51 was strong in a run game that featured all-time greats like Marcus Lattimore and Mike Davis. He also was a brick wall as a pass protector for Stephen Garcia, Connor Shaw, and Dylan Thompson. Cann made the Freshman All-American team in 2011, the All-SEC team the next three years, and the All-American squad in 2014.

Del Wilkes: Del Wilkes didn’t begin his South Carolina football career as a big-time player. In fact, the hometown kid didn’t always start and eventually quit the team after playing for Richard Bell in 1982. However, when Joe Morrison took over, Wilkes returned and became the best version of himself as a player. Wilkes earned recognition as a team captain and MVP for the 10-win 1984 “Black Magic” season. He also is the only consensus All-American lineman in USC history, earning the honor that same year. Wilkes became a pro wrestler after retirement, using the stage names “The Trooper” and “The Patriot.”

Ernest Dye: A huge, athletic lineman in the early ’90s, Ernest Dye spent two years in garnet and black after transferring in from junior college. He was the team MVP in 1992 and was the program’s first player to pick up first-team All-SEC honors. To this day, Dye is the only Gamecock offensive lineman to earn first-round selection in the NFL Draft. Despite being on campus for just two years, the Greenwood product is a South Carolina Athletics Hall of Famer.

TJ Johnson: TJ Johnson was a lightly-recruited prospect from Aynor who went on to become one of the top offensive lineman ever to don a Block C on his helmet. He started all 53 games of his career at center en route to Freshman All-SEC and three more All-SEC honors. Those 53 starts represent a school record for a non-special teams player. Johnson was a steadying presence on some of the Gamecocks’ best teams under head coach Steve Spurrier.

Jamar Nesbit: One of just a small handful of players in South Carolina history who made an award list all four years of his career, Jamar Nesbit was a beast up front for his home-state Gamecocks. Protecting legendary quarterbacks Steve Taneyhill and Anthony Wright, Nesbit played both guard and tackle in Columbia, primarily outside at tackle. He made the SEC All-Freshman squad in ’95 and followed it up with three All-SEC selections in a row.

Corey Louchiey: Corey Louchiey is one of the biggest Gamecock linemen to ever play. After originally signing with Tennessee and then following a stint as a defensive tackle at SC State, Louchiey flipped to the other side of the line of scrimmage at USC where he used his 6-8 frame to swallow up opposing defensive linemen. The Palmetto State native made an All-American team before becoming a top-100 pick in the 1994 NFL Draft.

Brandon Shell: One of the most-hyped offensive line recruits in recent Gamecock history, Brandon Shell lived up to expectations. The Goose Creek Gator-turned-Gamecock was a four-year starter who played three years at right tackle before shifting over to left tackle as a senior. He earned All-SEC honors from some outlets at both positions before putting together a nice NFL career.

Dennis Daley: Dennis Daley was yet another South Carolina native who had an excellent career in his hometown. The big fella started off at Georgia Military but was the Gamecocks’ left tackle for two seasons. Daley was an elite pass blocker who helped keep quarterback Jake Bentley upright and slinging the ball around to big-time pass catchers like Deebo Samuel, Bryan Edwards, Hayden Hurst, and Shi Smith.

Lou Sossamon: The first AP All-American ever from South Carolina football, Gaffney alum Lou Sossamon played both ways for the Gamecocks, starting at center and linebacker. He also was the student body president at USC. He delayed his professional football career to serve his country in the Navy during World War II. Sossamon was one of the first South Carolina Athletics Hall of Famers and later served on the Board of Trustees, helping lead the Gamecocks into the SEC in the early ’90s.

Ed Pitts: Ed Pitts played in the 1950s but is still considered one of the best linemen to play at USC. The pride of Clinton, South Carolina, Pitts played during an era in which freshmen couldn’t participate. Even so, he made two All-ACC teams in 1958 and 1959 and an All-American team in ’59. Pitts is a Hall of Famer and even coached briefly at his alma mater.

Melvin Paige: Arguably the best non-Travelle Wharton lineman of the Lou Holtz era at Carolina, Melvin Paige didn’t even play football at Dillon High School until his junior year. The decision to hit the gridiron paid off for the former marching band trombonist. Paige made a pair of All-SEC squads with the Gamecocks and helped revitalize a program that had been nearly dead in the water.

Zack Bailey: Zack Bailey was a versatile offensive lineman who started games at every offensive line position other than left tackle during his career. The Summerville native played for legendary high school coach John McKissick before signing with another Hall of Fame coach in Steve Spurrier. He finished his time at Carolina playing under Will Muschamp and made two All-SEC teams.

Frank Mincevich: A great guard during the 1950s, Frank Mincevich played for three years in Columbia. He was a captain for head coach Rex Enright and made two first-team All-ACC groups before becoming the first South Carolina football guard to make an All-American squad as a first-team performer. He also spent a little bit of time a defensive tackle for the Gamecocks.

George Schechterly: George Schechterly was one of the top blockers for Heisman Trophy winner George Rogers. However, that almost never happened. Schechterly signed with Penn State out of high school, but after a redshirt, he didn’t pass conditioning tests for Joe Paterno’s team and was sent home. He transferred to South Carolina, dedicated himself to getting better, and became an All-Independent blocker.

Chuck Slaughter: Like George Schechterly, Chuck Slaughter helped pave the running lanes for George Rogers’ robust rushing totals. Slaughter was an undersized tackle who relied on toughness and a high motor to win as a blocker. The Conway, South Carolina native often led the way on Rogers’ favorite toss sweep play.

Steve Courson: A Super Bowl starter for some Pittsburgh Steelers championship teams, Steve Courson was a really good blocker with the Gamecocks, too. However, his admission of steroid use (both as a collegiate and NFL player) tarnishes his legacy. He was a mauler in the run game who was as tough as they come. The athletic and muscular Courson was the best interior offensive lineman on some USC teams that liked to run the ball.

Discuss South Carolina football on The Insiders Forum!