South Carolina Football’s GOAT Series: Top-15 greatest safeties of all-time
By Kevin Miller
South Carolina Football’s No. 12 Safety of All-Time:
Jaylan Foster
An underdog story fit for a movie, Jaylan Foster (2017-2021) wasn’t recruited much out of Byrnes High School. As the 46th-ranked player in the state, he ended up at Gardner-Webb University where he was the Big South Freshman of the Year at corner. He had an opportunity to fulfill a dream by walking on to the South Carolina football team the following year. After sitting out the 2017 season as a transfer, the redshirt sophomore moved to safety in 2018 but didn’t see the field. He was named the Scout Team Player of the Year and put on scholarship in 2019.
A rotational DB in 2020, Foster became the starter toward the end of the season as Covid-related opt-outs created a spot in the secondary. Foster utilized his “Covid redshirt” to return as a sixth-year player in 2021 and had a tremendous season. He led the Gamecocks and the SEC in interceptions and ranked in the top-5 in tackles for the conference. The former walk-on and FCS player was honored as an All-American for his exceptional season and had a brief NFL career before returning to South Carolina football in an analyst role.