South Carolina Football’s GOAT Series: Top-12 greatest defensive tackles of all-time
By Kevin Miller
South Carolina Football’s No. 12 Defensive Tackle of All-Time:
JT Surratt
JT Surratt (2010-2014) was a rotation tackle for two seasons during the greatest era of defensive line play in school history. As NFL talents like Melvin Ingram, Travian Robertson, and Byron Jerideau moved on, Surratt stepped up. In 2014, Jadeveon Clowney and Kelcy Quarles were gone, too, and Surratt found himself holding down a talent-deficient unit with extremely solid play and leadership ability.
Surratt never featured prominently in the box score, but he did his job. He was a good run stuffer who opened up tackling lanes for leading tackler linebacker Skai Moore. His high motor led him to double-digit tackles for loss. In 2012, he combined with Byron Jerideau on what is probably the heaviest sack in Gamecock history as all 630+ pounds squished Clemson’s Tajh Boyd.