South Carolina Football’s GOAT Series: Top-12 greatest quarterbacks of all-time

South Carolina football will never be mistaken for one of the nation’s top producers of quarterback talent. However, there have still been a number of impressive signal callers who have donned the block C on their helmets. Scramblers, pocket passers, and guys who could do both have taken snaps under center for the Gamecocks.

Honorable Mentions

Blake Mitchell: Blake Mitchell (2004-2007) was an underappreciated quarterback with a whip for an arm. The skinny kid from LaGrange, Georgia was yanked around a bit by Steve Spurrier because of conflicting skillsets with the athletic Syvelle Newton, but Mitchell was a good player when given consistent playing time.

Mitchell finished his Gamecock career in the top-7 in completions, completion percentage, yards, touchdowns, and QBR. He had games where he struggled with interceptions, but in the Spurrier-era golden age of Carolina quarterbacks, only Stephen Garcia finished with more 300+ yard passing games than #12.

Bobby Fuller: Had he spent more time in Columbia, Bobby Fuller (1990-1991) certainly would be higher on this list. Fuller transferred to South Carolina from Appalachian State when Sparky Woods became the head coach. On an offense loaded with talent, he threw for almost 5000 yards but led two unremarkable seasons in which the Gamecocks only won 7 FBS games despite only playing 5 ranked opponents.

Garry Harper: Garry Harper (1978-1980) had one job in garnet and black: hand the ball to King George. He did that job well and rode on George Rogers’ back to 20 wins, the same as Gamecock greats Stephen Garcia and Steve Taneyhill. Harper did just enough to give South Carolina a chance to win most weeks, and he had no problem deferring to Rogers and Johnnie Wright.

Dan Reeves: One of the best athletes to play quarterback for the Gamecocks, Dan Reeves (1962-1964) was one of the few bright spots on some bad Carolina teams. Among the all-time quarterback rushers at South Carolina, Reeves went on to a long NFL career as a running back and slot receiver before becoming a great NFL head coach.

Ron Bass: Ron Bass (1973-1977) was a popular quarterback despite following the great Jeff Grantz. Bass was one of the best running quarterbacks in school history and was part of a fun backfield with Clarence Williams and Kevin Long. Immortalized as “Sunshine” in the movie Remember the Titans, Bass had his best performance against rival North Carolina when, filling in for an injured Grantz, he rushed for over 200 yards and two touchdowns in the win.

Allen Mitchell: The starter during most of the “Black Magic” season of 1984, Mitchell split time at quarterback much of his career. He struggled statistically and wasn’t as talented as many other South Carolina quarterbacks. However, Mitchell was a good leader who won way more games than his natural abilities would indicate possible. His toughness was well-respected during his playing career.

Syvelle Newton: Syvelle Newton (2003-2006) was a football player. One of the best athletes to play for the Gamecocks regardless of position, Newton bounced around from position to position but spent two seasons as the leader under center for Lou Holtz and Steve Spurrier. Newton is one of only four players in the history of college football to amass over 600 yards passing, 600 yards rushing, and 600 yards receiving. He also spent time on defense and was a threat offensively, no matter where he was lined up at the snap.

Johnny Gramling: Playing in an era when freshmen were not allowed on the team, Johnny Gramling (1951-1953) started for three seasons and never had a losing season despite the Gamecocks having three losing seasons in a row prior to Gramling getting the job. He was a two-time all-conference player and led South Carolina to two shutout victories over rival Clemson, something that hasn’t happened since Gramling graduated.

South Carolina Football’s No. 12 Greatest Quarterback of All-Time:
Mike Hold

Mike Hold (1984-1985) only spent one year as the starter in garnet and black, but it is not the season with which he is most often associated. As a senior, Hold had a decent 1985 season that saw the Gamecocks take a step back from the “Black Magic” of 1984. The previous year, operating primarily as Allen Mitchell’s backup, Hold played in every game and orchestrated two come-from-behind victories.

Also the reserve punter, Hold finished his career with just under 3000 passing yards and over 500 yards on the ground. Arguably his most iconic moment came on the last play of Carolina’s win over Clemson in 1984. In the victory formation, Hold took the snap, killed some clock, and took an unnecessary hit from William “The Refrigerator” Perry. As the whistle blew, Hold took a step back and dropped the ball at Perry’s feet, and allegedly said, “Hold that, Tiger!”

South Carolina Football’s No. 11 Greatest Quarterback of All-Time:
Jake Bentley

One of the most talented arms to come through Columbia, Jake Bentley (2016-2019) had an interesting career as a Gamecock. He had his redshirt burned in 2016 as he was inserted into the starting lineup halfway through the year, and the team was instantly energized by the fiery signal caller. Bentley was one-half of one of the best throw-and-catch combinations ever for Carolina with an amazing touchdown against NC State in 2017.

He had some incredible games in his career but was heavily criticized by the fanbase for a couple of bad performances. Sometimes fair, sometimes not, Bentley often received the blame any time the team performed poorly during the early Will Muschamp era, but he was a productive quarterback who finished his Gamecock career in the top-5 in career passing yards and touchdowns.

South Carolina Football’s No. 10 Greatest Quarterback of All-Time:
Dylan Thompson

Dylan Thompson (2011-2014), one of the best people to come through the South Carolina football program, was also one of the best quarterbacks to play for Steve Spurrier. Thompson saw lots of playing time in his first three seasons despite backing up Connor Shaw as Shaw battled injuries. His biggest moment of those three years came in a start at Clemson when Shaw was unable to play in the top-12 matchup. Thompson torched the Tigers for 348 total yards and three scores.

Despite being a pocket passer, his biggest moment may have come on the ground in the Clemson game. On 3rd and 19, Thompson sealed the game by gaining 20 yards on a gutsy draw play (linked above). He also came through in the clutch multiple times for the Gamecocks, including coming off the bench to throw the game-winning score against Michigan in the Outback Bowl.

South Carolina Football’s No. 9 Greatest Quarterback of All-Time:
Phil Petty

Phil Petty (1997-2001) was probably the least talented quarterback on this list, and that makes his place on this list that much more remarkable. #14 orchestrated one of the best single-season turnarounds in college football history (at the time, the best ever) when they went from winless in 1999 to 8 wins in 2000.

Hailing from the same high school as Dylan Thompson, Petty was known for his leadership. His “I ain’t hear no bell” moment is legendary in Gamecock Nation. His biggest achievements on the field included an upset of top-10 Georgia, a streak-busting home win over Clemson, and two straight victories over Ohio State in the Outback Bowl.

South Carolina Football’s No. 8 Greatest Quarterback of All-Time:
Tommy Suggs

Known by younger Gamecock fans for his 50 years in the broadcast booth, Tommy Suggs (1967-1970) was the signal caller for the Gamecocks’ only conference title in 1969. Suggs never lost to Clemson in his career, and he also never lost to ACC rivals North Carolina, Wake Forest, and NC State. Carolina fans’ love for Suggs is only outdone by Suggs’ love for his school as the former team captain often shows his fandom during radio broadcasts.

Suggs finished his career with every passing record in the book for South Carolina football and still ranks in the top-10 all-time in yards and touchdowns. Until Spencer Rattler threw six touchdowns against Tennessee in 2022, Suggs’ five touchdown performance against Virginia in 1968 was a school record that stood for almost 55 years.

South Carolina Football’s No. 7 Greatest Quarterback of All-Time:
Jeff Grantz

Jeff Grantz (1972-1975) was the starting quarterback who saw the Gamecocks through the transition from Head Coach Paul Dietzel to Jim Carlen. Grantz finished his career with over 5000 yards of offense despite starting just 26 total games. Known for his toughness, Grantz has the most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in school history, he is second all-time in quarterback rushing yards (behind Connor Shaw), and he owns the single-game quarterback rushing record of 260 yards.

As a senior in 1975, Grantz was a team captain and All-American. His senior year saw Grantz throw the ball more than ever, but the Carolina offense still ran the ball more than twice as often as they threw it. Despite the low usage as a passer, Grantz is in the top-13 in school history in passing yards, touchdowns, and passer rating.

South Carolina Football’s No. 6 Greatest Quarterback of All-Time:
Todd Ellis

Now the “Voice of the Gamecocks” on football radio broadcasts, Todd Ellis (1985-1989) is the all-time leader in passing yards at the University of South Carolina. Ellis played most of his career in the run-and-shoot offense as those Gamecock units of the late ’80s threw the ball A LOT. He has almost 150 more pass attempts than the second-place Carolina QB (Steve Taneyhill) and over 300 more than the third-place Stephen Garcia. Ellis was named an All-American as a redshirt freshman in 1986.

Ellis had some great moments as a Gamecock, but he threw the third-most interceptions in college football history as he finished his career with 49 touchdowns to 73 picks. His penchant for giving the ball away was the primary knock against Ellis, but #9 did not accidentally become the Gamecocks’ all-time leader in completions and passing yardage. Ellis was tremendously talented and played a role in the legendary careers of pass catchers like Sterling Sharpe, Robert Brooks, Danny Smith, and Ryan Bethea.

South Carolina Football's No. 5 Greatest Quarterback of All-Time:
Spencer Rattler

Spencer Rattler (2022-2023) transferred to South Carolina from Oklahoma after being replaced by eventual Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams. Thanks to the demotion and some narratives surrounding Rattler from his high school days, many around the country had written Spencer Rattler off before he took a snap as a Gamecock.

He proved his doubters wrong by becoming one of the best quarterbacks and leaders ever to play in Columbia.

In just two years in garnet and black, Rattler put himself into the top-10 of every passing record around the Gamecock program, and he owns the career record for completion percentage. He also put up one of the best-ever performances in college football history with 469 total yards and 6 touchdowns on 30/37 passing in USC's upset of College Football Playoff-bound Tennessee.

South Carolina Football’s No. 4 Greatest Quarterback of All-Time:
Stephen Garcia

Stephen Garcia (2007-2011) was one of a kind. His uniqueness was not always a positive trait, as he was in and out of (minor) trouble most of his career until ultimately being dismissed from the team in 2011. While playing in garnet and black, Garcia racked up the third-most passing yards, fifth-most passing touchdowns, and fifth-most rushing yards of any quarterback.

Garcia owns some of the most iconic performances in Gamecock history, none bigger than his close-to-perfect day in a domination of the #1 Alabama Crimson Tide in 2010. He was the quarterback for South Carolina’s only SEC East division championship and put together two of the best statistical years ever for Gamecock signal callers.

South Carolina Football’s No. 3 Greatest Quarterback of All-Time:
Anthony Wright

Anthony Wright (1995-1998) was a stud. Playing behind some porous offensive lines, A1 was often running for his life while in garnet and black. Despite this disadvantage, Wright was a consistent playmaker for Brad Scott’s South Carolina teams, both through the air and on the ground. He finished his career with over 5600 passing yards and a solid 38-22 touchdown-interception ratio. If not for taking so many sacks due to holes up front, Wright’s rushing totals would have been much higher than the 200 yards and 7 touchdowns he scraped together.

Sandwiched between two other quarterbacks on this list (Steve Taneyhill and Phil Petty), Wright is seventh in Gamecock history in total yardage even though he only started for three seasons. He was voted the team’s MVP as a junior when he threw for 18 touchdowns and just 5 picks. His career is one of the biggest “what if” careers in South Carolina history as Gamecock fans often wonder how a talent like Anthony Wright would have fared on a good football team.

South Carolina Football’s No. 2 Greatest Quarterback of All-Time:
Steve Taneyhill

Without a doubt, Steve Taneyhill (1992-1995) was the most expressive personality to ever take snaps from center at South Carolina. An exciting player, Taneyhill was known for his boisterous celebrations after touchdowns, including his “home run swing,” taking off his helmet to show off his glorious mullet, and signing his name on the field at Clemson’s Memorial Stadium.

Taneyhill is the program’s all-time leader in touchdown passes, third in total touchdowns, and second in career passing yards. He is the only player to throw for over 500 yards in a single game for South Carolina, and he holds the Gamecock record for most games with at least three touchdown passes. He is probably most known for his outstanding freshman season when he took over the starting job and completely turned around the Gamecocks’ season and showed the college football world that he was going to have lots of fun during his time in Columbia.

South Carolina Football’s Greatest Quarterback of All-Time:
Connor Shaw

Connor Shaw (2010-2013) is the best to ever do it. Period. The under-recruited and undersized quarterback took over for the suspended Stephen Garcia in 2011 and never looked back. He was an unthinkable 27-5 as the starter and a perfect 17-0 at home. He drove the bus for three straight 11-win campaigns and owns tons of records. His 1683 rushing yards are more than any other Gamecock quarterback, and his 74 total touchdowns are far and away the best number in program history for any position.

Shaw was a staggering 8-3 against Clemson, Georgia, Tennessee, and Florida as the starter. He was also 12-1 against Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Missouri, including an amazing come-from-behind effort off the bench against Missouri in 2013 while injured that is simply known as “The Miracle in Missouri.” He also owns the record for completion percentage, quarterback rating, and consecutive completions (21 against Missouri in 2012).

There was nothing about Shaw’s mechanics or build that would lead one to see what he’d be on the field. He didn’t have an overly strong arm, and he wasn’t very strong. But he refused to lose and was one of the best leaders to ever don a Block C on his helmet. Connor Shaw is the unquestioned GOAT.