South Carolina Football: Gamecock legend gets new coaching job in NFL

Arguably the best offensive lineman in the history of the South Carolina football program is Travelle Wharton. Wharton was a 4-year starter for the Gamecocks, spending almost all of his time at left tackle. He earned three All-SEC selections and was even chosen as an All-American by some publications despite being an undersized tackle.

Wharton was part of the biggest turnaround in college football history (at the time), when the Gamecocks went from 0 wins to 8 wins from 1999 to 2000, Wharton's freshman season.

After he left the South Carolina football program, Wharton had a great 10-year career in the NFL after being a 3rd round pick of the Carolina Panthers. He played 9 seasons with the Panthers, and his only season away from the team (2012) saw him not play a snap for the Cincinnati Bengals because of injury.

When his playing days ended, he got into coaching, starting off with his alma mater. He was an off-field coach but was promoted to offensive line coach when Shawn Elliott became the interim head coach after Steve Spurrier's retirement. Since then, he has been in the NFL with the Panthers and the Washington Redskins/Football Team/Commanders (he was hired when they were still the Redskins, was present for the entire "Football Team" era, and was still there for the switch to Commanders).

Now, Wharton has a new opportunity at the NFL level.

Travelle Wharton is now the assistant offensive line coach for the Baltimore Ravens, according to an official announcement from the organization.

Wharton joins a Super Bowl-hopeful organization in the Ravens, and he will spend his 7th season coaching in the NFL working under long-time offensive line coach Joe D'Alessandris, offensive coordinator Todd Monken, and future Hall of Fame head coach John Harbaugh. This will be Wharton's 6th year as an assistant offensive line coach (he spent 2023 as the lead offensive line coach in Washington).

There are no Gamecock alums on the Ravens roster unless they resign Jadeveon Clowney to a new contract or bring in another former USC star through free agency or trade.