South Carolina football's top 10 all-time quarterbacks

With spring practice over for South Carolina, Gamecock fans have about three 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.

Following that up, we examined the top Gamecock tight ends.

Last week, it was all about determining the top offensive linemen ever to block in Columbia.

Now, this week, we move to the quarterback position.

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 good quarterback could be included. Names like Dan Reeves, Phil Petty, Bobby Fuller, Syvelle Newton, Johnny Gramling, Blake Mitchell, Mike Hold, Garry Harper, and Allen Mitchell were 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. Connor Shaw
2. Steve Taneyhill
3. Jeff Grantz
4. Tommy Suggs
5. Spencer Rattler
6. LaNorris Sellers
7. Todd Ellis
8. Stephen Garcia
9. Anthony Wright
10. Jake Bentley

Why Connor Shaw is No. 1: “Shaw is the winningest, the grittiest, and was the leader of some elite teams in Columbia. He’s simply the best.”

Wes Mitchell

1. Connor Shaw
2. Todd Ellis
3. Steve Taneyhill
4. Jeff Grantz
5. Tommy Suggs
6. Spencer Rattler
7. LaNorris Sellers
8. Dylan Thompson
9. Stephen Garcia
10. Anthony Wright

Why Connor Shaw is No. 1: “Connor Shaw is the unquestioned GOAT of Gamecock quarterbacks. But if LaNorris Sellers has the career he’s capable of, we may be having a debate in a couple of years.”

Kevin Miller

1. Connor Shaw
2. Steve Taneyhill
3. Jeff Grantz
4. Spencer Rattler
5. Anthony Wright
6. Tommy Suggs
7. Todd Ellis
8. Dylan Thompson
9. Stephen Garcia
10. LaNorris Sellers

Why Connor Shaw is No. 1: “If winning football games is the goal (and it is), there’s no question Connor Shaw is the greatest to ever do it in Columbia. He wasn’t the most gifted quarterback in Gamecock history, but he was a tremendous leader and competitor. Adding to his resume, Shaw never lost at home or to Clemson. Steve Spurrier once told me that Shaw ‘is as good as anyone I’ve ever coached, even Danny Wuerffel,’ the player who won the 1996 Heisman Trophy and National Championship.”

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The Insiders Forum

Votes in parentheses

1. Connor Shaw (164)
T-2. Jeff Grantz (73)
T-2. Spencer Rattler (73)
4. Steve Taneyhill (68)
T-5. Stephen Garcia (56)
T-5. LaNorris Sellers (56)
7. Todd Ellis (53)
8. Dylan Thompson (46)
9. Tommy Suggs (44)
10. Anthony Wright (29)

Notes on the Gamecock Greats

Connor Shaw: Connor Shaw is the unanimous pick as the greatest Gamecock quarterback ever for a reason. One of the best leaders in program history, Shaw never lost a game at Williams-Brice Stadium and was the starting quarterback on three 11-win teams. The GOAT finished his career in garnet and black with 74 touchdowns compared to just 16 interceptions. He also holds the USC record for quarterback rushing yards and never lost to Clemson.

Steve Taneyhill: One of the most popular quarterbacks in Gamecock history also happens to be one of the best. Steve Taneyhill helped flip a lost 1992 season to near-bowl eligibility, including the first win in 90 years over Tennessee. The man with the glorious mullet owns the USC record for career touchdown passes (61). Following the 1994 season, he led South Carolina to its first-ever bowl victory.

Jeff Grantz: Jeff Grantz was a dual-sport athlete, but as good as he was at baseball, he was better on the gridiron. Grantz was an All-American in 1975 and was probably the program’s best rushing threat at quarterback before LaNorris Sellers came along. However, Grantz could throw the ball when given the chance, earning selection in the ’76 NFL Draft.

Spencer Rattler: Though he spent just two years in Columbia, Spencer Rattler became a Gamecock great. Following his transfer from Oklahoma, Ratter became an excellent leader and teammate in Columbia. Despite a horrendous situation with his offensive coordinator, Rattler found a way to set Carolina’s single-game record with six touchdowns in a blowout win over top-10 Tennessee in 2022. Then, he turned in a remarkable 2023 season and set the career completion percentage record.

Tommy Suggs: Tommy Suggs did something that no other South Carolina quarterback ever has: he led the Gamecocks to a conference championship. The only non-vacated conference title in USC history came in 1969 when Suggs won the ACC. He was an All-ACC performer and has been a part of the University of South Carolina program and community ever since.

Todd Ellis: Now known as “The Voice of the Gamecocks,” Todd Ellis was once an All-American quarterback at South Carolina. Ellis owns the career record for passing yards as the gunslinger on an offense that chucked the football all around the yard. Unfortunately, he had a proclivity for giving the football away, causing him to finish his career with the second-most interceptions of any player in college football history at the time.

LaNorris Sellers: LaNorris Sellers has had just one year as the starter in Columbia, but he may already have a real claim as the most talented quarterback in team history. Sellers had a strong 2024 that ended with the best single-month statistical showing by any Gamecock under center. He’s a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate and could solidify himself as one of the best few quarterbacks ever to come through the program if he has a big redshirt sophomore campaign.

Anthony Wright: The longest-tenured NFL quarterback ever from the University of South Carolina, Anthony Wright was a stud. He didn’t always have the best team (or offensive line) around him, limiting his perceived success. However, A1 was a special talent who sits in the top 10 among USC quarterbacks in most statistics despite the difficult situation he played in as a Gamecock in the mid-late 1990s.

Dylan Thompson: Dylan Thompson was one of the most popular backup quarterbacks in recent memory before getting his turn following Connor Shaw’s graduation. He had filled in admirably for Shaw on multiple occasions (including tossing the game-winning touchdown off the bench in the Outback Bowl against Michigan and beating Clemson in Memorial Stadium), but he saved his best work for his time as a starter. Thompson set the single-season passing record, completing over 3500 yards worth of passes during the 2014 season.

Stephen Garcia: An elite talent who had a few off-field struggles at Carolina, Stephen Garcia was a fan favorite. Some of that was because of his larger-than-life personality. Some of it, though, was because he had some great moments with Steve Spurrier’s Gamecocks. Garcia led USC to its 2010 upset of No. 1 Alabama and an SEC East title that same season.

Jake Bentley: After skipping his senior year of high school and then burning a redshirt in 2016, Jake Bentley was the Gamecocks’ starter for 2.5 more seasons before a broken foot ended his career prematurely. He had some major highs and some tough lows as the primary quarterback during the Will Muschamp era. Bentley led the Gamecocks to a bowl victory and then set the single-game record with 510 passing yards against Clemson in his final matchup against the Tigers.

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