A look at South Carolina football's most successful first-round NFL draft picks

The 2026 NFL Draft is just a few days away, with round one set for Thursday evening. Several South Carolina stars like cornerback Brandon Cisse, safety Jalon Kilgore, defensive lineman Nick Barrett and running back Rashul Faison are all hoping to have their names called and see their dreams of playing in the NFL come true. 

While the Gamecocks are not a lock to have a player drafted in the first round in 2026, there have been several successful ones in the program's history.

For a player to be considered a successful first-round draft pick, we'll use metrics like playing multiple seasons in the league as a starter, making Pro Bowl and All-Pro rosters, as well as Super Bowl champions and Pro Football Hall of Famers. 

We'll go in chronological order, starting with the modern draft era beginning in 1970.     

RB George Rogers: 1981, No. 1 overall by the New Orleans Saints

George Rogers played four seasons for the South Carolina Gamecocks from 1977 to 1980. Over his last two seasons in Columbia, he rushed for a combined 3,329 yards. During his 1980 senior season, he won South Carolina‘s first ever Heisman Trophy in school history after leading the FBS with 1,781 yards rushing along with 14 touchdowns. 

In 1981, he was selected No. 1 overall in the first round by the New Orleans Saints. As a rookie, he led the league with rushing 1,674 yards, adding 13 touchdowns. He enjoyed a seven-year career in the NFL, including four with the Saints and three with Washington. He won a Super Bowl with Washington in 1988, and rushed for 7,126 yards with 54 touchdowns across his career. He was a two-time Pro Bowler and was selected as a First-Team All-Pro during his rookie season. 

WR Sterling Sharpe: 1988, No. 7 overall by the Green Bay Packers

Sharpe played both receiver and running back for the Gamecocks from 1983-1987, getting for a career-high 74 receptions for 1,106 yards with 10 touchdowns in 1986. He was drafted in the first round of the 1988 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers, where he spent the entirety of his seven-year NFL career. 

In 1992, he led the league in both receiving yards (1,461) and touchdowns (13), averaging 91.3 yards per game, which also topped the NFL that season. He also impressively led the league in receptions in 1989, 1992 and 1993. He closed out his career during the 1994 season leading the league in touchdown receptions again, with a career-high 18.  

He was a three-time First-team All-Pro, and made it to five Pro Bowls across his career. He is the sole South Carolina Gamecock in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, getting inducted in 2025. 

DE John Abraham: 2000, No. 13 overall by the New York Jets

John Abraham played at South Carolina from 1996-1999, accounting for 23.5 sacks and leading the Gamecocks in sacks in each season in Columbia. He earned All-SEC honors as a senior, despite the Gamecocks finishing 0-11 under Lou Holtz. 

He was drafted in the first round of 2000 NFL draft by the Jets, where spent six seasons. In 2001, he led the league with six forced fumbles, finishing his career with a whopping 48 punchouts. He played 15 seasons in the NFL, including seven with the Atlanta Falcons from 2006-2012. In Atlanta, he had a career-high 16.5 sacks in 2008. He spent the last two seasons of his career with the Arizona Cardinals, closing out his NFL career as a five-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro. 

He started in 175 career games across his NFL career, amassing 133.5 sacks with 560 total tackles. He returned to South Carolina to complete his collegiate degree, receiving his diploma in May 2025.  

DB Dunta Robinson: 2004, No. 10 overall by the Houston Texans

Dunta Robinson played at South Carolina from 2000-2003, playing under Gamecocks head coach Lou Holtz. Across his three seasons, he accounted for 114 total tackles with five interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown. He was drafted in the fist round by the Houston Texans at No. 10 overall, becoming the highest-drafted Gamecocks since Sharpe's 1988 selection.

During his rookie season in 2004, he accounted for six interceptions with three forced fumbles and three sacks. He was named PFWA's Defensive Rookie of the Year and made the outlet's All-Rookie team that year. He enjoyed a 10-year NFL career, including six with the Texans, three with the Atlanta Falcons and spending his final season of his career in 2013 with the Chiefs. He finished his career with 594 tackles, 17 interceptions and seven forced fumbles.

CB Johnathan Joseph: 2006, No. 24 overall by the Cincinnati Bengals

Johnathan Joseph started his collegiate career at JUCO Coffeyville Community College in 2003, getting 43 total tackles with three interceptions. He earned All-Conference honors, and transferred to South Carolina ahead of the 2004 season. His first season in Columbia was cut short due to a broken foot he suffered against Georgia. 

In 2005 under first-year head coach Steve Spurrier, Joseph finished with 55 total tackles, including four interceptions with one returned for a touchdown.

He was drafted late in the first round by the Bengals in 2006, where he spent his first five seasons. Joseph's best part of his career came with the Houston Texans, with which he played nine seasons from 2011-2019. He racked up 482 total tackles with 17 interceptions. He was a two-time Pro Bowler in 2011 and 2012 and was a second-team All-Pro in 2011. 

His NFL career ended in 2020 following a pair of stints with the Titans and Cardinals. He finished his 15-year career with 787 total tackles, 32 interceptions with seven returned for touchdowns and eight forced fumbles. 

South Carolina 2027 commit transfering to DMV powerhouse

CB Stephon Gilmore: 2012, No. 10 overall by the Buffalo Bills

Stephon Gilmore, a Palmetto State native, played three seasons under Steve Spurrier from 2009-2011. During his Gamecock career, he accounted for 181 total tackles with eight interceptions and four forced fumbles. During Gilmore's senior season, he helped South Carolina finish 11-2 with a Capital One Bowl win over Nebraska. He was a first-team All-SEC corner in 2010, and a third-team All-American the same season. 

He was drafted No. 10 overall by the Buffalo Bills in the 2012 NFL Draft, and spent five seasons with the Bills, making his first Pro Bowl his last season there in 2015.  But he is perhaps more known for what he did with the New England Patriots, playing under Bill Belichick from 2017-2020. 

He won Super Bowl LII with New England during the 2018 season, and was named the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year in 2019 after leading the league in interceptions and 20 passes defended. Over his 13 seasons, he finished with 617 total tackles, 32 interceptions and eight forced fumbles. He was a two-time first-team All-Pro in 2018 and 2019, and made five Pro Bowls across his career. From 2021-2024, he played for the Carolina Panthers, Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings.

Gilmore retired officially from the NFL just last month. He is expected to be the next South Carolina alumnus to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  

DE Melvin Ingram: 2012, No. 18 overall by the San Diego Chargers

Melvin Ingram played four seasons at South Carolina from 2007-2011, even seeing playing time as a true freshman in 2007. He switched from linebacker to defensive end midway through his career, and it massively paid off—he led South Carolina with nine sacks as a junior in 2010. Over his last two seasons in Columbia, he finished with 76 total tackles, including 26 sacks and two interceptions. 

He was drafted in the first round by the Chargers, where he spent the first nine seasons of his 12-year NFL career. He was a three-time Pro Bowler there from 2017-2019, and accounted for 360 total tackles with 49 sacks and 28 forced fumbles. He spent the last four seasons of his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins from 2021-2023. He made 106 starts across his 12 NFL seasons. 

DE Jadeveon Clowney: 2014, No. 1 overall by the Houston Texans 

Jadeveon Clowney is considered to be one of the most disruptive pass-rushers in South Carolina football history. From 2011-2013, he accounted for 129 total tackles, 24 sacks and nine forced fumbles. His best season came in 2012, when he finished with a career-high 13 sacks, two passes defended and three forced fumbles. 

He was a two-time First-team All-American and All-SEC player in 2012 and 2013. His most unforgettable moment as a Gamecock, of course, came during his monster hit on Michigan running back Vincent Smith during the 2013 Outback Bowl:

Clowney was drafted No. 1 overall by Houston in 2014, and unfortunately his rookie season was cut short due to a torn meniscus. Although he wasn't quite as disruptive at getting after the quarterback during his first two full seasons (10.5 combined sacks), he was a three-time Pro Bowler from 2016-2018, and was a second-team All-Pro in 2016. 

His best season with the Texans was in 2017, finishing with 9.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and 21 tackles for loss. He has bounced around the league quite a bit, playing most recently with the Cleveland Browns from 2021-22, Ravens, Panthers and Cowboys in 2025. He had 9 sacks for Cleveland in 2021, and added 9.5 for the Ravens in 2023. This past season for Dallas, he finished with 8.5 sacks, 41 total tackles and a forced fumble. 

Across his 12 seasons, he has 450 total tackles, 66.5 sacks, 16 forced fumbles and 36 passes defended. He is currently an unrestricted free agent, and could be suited by a number of teams if he doesn't return to Dallas in 2026.    

CB Jaycee Horn: 2021, No. 8 overall by the Carolina Panthers 

Jaycee Horn is the son of former NFL wide receiver Joe Horn. A native of Alpharetta, Ga., Horn played from 2018-202 for South Carolina. He finished his Gamecock career with 101 total tackles, three sacks, two interceptions and forced fumbles including 23 passes defended.

Getting drafted at No. 8 overall made him the highest-drafted Gamecock corner in school history. He has been with the Panthers since his rookie season in 2021, and has racked up 190 total tackles with 10 interceptions over his five seasons. 

He made back-to-back Pro Bowls in 2024 and 2025, and was awarded a four-year, $100 million contract extension with the Panthers in March 2025.

Complete list of South Carolina first-round NFL draft picks

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