USA250: 10 greatest college athletes from South Carolina

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South Carolina's college sports history is one dominated by players who made the gridiron their home.

But not entirely.

Sure, you have the likes of George Rogers, Deshaun Watson and C.J. Spiller, some of several football players among the state of South Carolina's top 10 collegians. But you also have Aliyah Boston, A'ja Wilson and Rip Bouknight, players whose dominance made an indelible impact for South Carolina — and who gave the Gamecocks a 6-4 edge over Clemson on this list.

With that, here's a look at the top 10 most dominant collegiate athletes in South Carolina state history, part of USA TODAY Sports' USA 250 initiative:

George Rogers, South Carolina

Before Herschel Walker and Bo Jackson, there was George Rogers, who was a physical force on the field for South Carolina, where he made the switch from fullback to tailback as a freshman. The move paid dividends. He rushed for 1,006 yards as a sophomore in only eight games, following up with 1,681 rushing yards and a first-team All-America selection as a junior .As a senior in 1980, he won the Heisman Trophy and unanimous All-America honors with a nation-leading 1,781 rushing yards and 6.0 yards per carry, beating out several Heisman finalists that included Pittsburgh's Hugh Greene and Walker. He still owns Gamecocks records for career rushing yards (4,958) and the top two rushing seasons in program history.

Deshaun Watson, Clemson

Watson's talent was always obvious as a freshman in 2014, when he set a school record with six touchdown passes and 435 passing yards against North Carolina in his first career start. As a sophomore in 2015, he was ACC player of the year, a consensus All-American and finished third in the Heisman voting. Watson nearly completed the first 15-0 season of the College Football Playoff era before a narrow loss to Alabama in the title game when he recorded a title game-record 478 yards against the top defense in the country. He also became the first 4,000-yard passer and 1,000-yard rusher in college football history. The next season saw Watson become a repeat winner for the Manning and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm awards and finish runner-up in the Heisman race. He led the Tigers to a 14-1 record and a defeat of Alabama in the title game with a last-second touchdown to Hunter Renfrow.

C.J. Spiller, Clemson

From 2006-09, there wasn't a more electrifying player in college football than the running back out of Clemson who thrived as a rusher, receiver or returner. Over the course of his four-year career, Spiller was a true all-purpose threat, racking up 3,547 rushing yards, 1,420 receiving yards, 2,052 kickoff return yards and 569 punt return yards. By the time he left Clemson as a unanimous All-America selection as an all-purpose player in 2009, he held 31 Clemson school records. He still has the third-most all-purpose yards in NCAA history, with 7,588, and maintains the NCAA record for most career kickoffs returned for touchdown (seven).

A'ja Wilson, South Carolina

The No. 1 recruit coming out of high school, Wilson lived up to her hype as one of the best players in all of women's college basketball. During her time in Columbia, she was the 2016 SEC freshman of the year, a three-time SEC player of the year from 2016-18, the program's first four-time All-American and the most outstanding player of the 2017 Final Four, in which she led the Gamecocks to their first championship. Perhaps this is the best way to describe her impact on South Carolina: Following the completion of her career in 2018, she became just the second Gamecocks athlete to be honored with a statue on campus, following 1980 Heisman Trophy winner George Rogers.

PROGRAM RANKINGS: Top 25 | Big Ten | SEC | ACC | Big 12

Sterling Sharpe, South Carolina

In his Pro Football Hall of Fame speech, Shannon Sharpe famously said that, despite his induction into the 2011 class, he was still only the second-best football player in his own family — behind older brother Sterling Sharpe. Even as South Carolina went 21-22 over his four-year playing career, Sterling Sharpe proved his routine, effortless excellence as a receiver, setting virtually every pass-catching record in Gamecocks history, including catches (169), single-season receiving yards (1,106) and career receiving yards (2,497). Of course, Sterling Sharpe eventually joined Shannon in the Pro Football Hall of fame in 2025, 11 years after earning enshrinement in the College Football Hall of Fame

Banks McFadden, Clemson

How good was Banks McFadden for Clemson? The do-it-all athlete has two jerseys retired at the university: his basketball No. 23 and football No. 66. McFadden is widely considered one of the best athletes in program history, lettering not only in basketball and football, but also track, where he was known to win several events while earning All-America status in the prior two sports. After being selected as an All-American for basketball in 1938, McFadden earned rare double All-America honors in basketball and football in 1939, becoming the first Clemson player selected as an Associated Press first-team selection. That season saw him lead the Tigers to a Southern Conference championship and beat Boston College in the program's first-ever bowl appearance, the 1940 Cotton Bowl Classic.

Aliyah Boston, South Carolina

One of the great defenders in women's basketball history, Boston's list of accolades is too long to count. A (woefully incomplete) portion of her decorated career: numerous freshman of the year awards; two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year; three-time unanimous All-America selection; four-time recipient of the Lisa Leslie Award; and a recipient of every major player of the year award in 2022. What else can be said about Boston? She recorded the first freshman triple-double in South Carolina history, a stat line that included a program record-tying 10 blocks. She holds South Carolina records in rebounds (1,493), triple-doubles (two) and double-doubles (82), including an SEC-record 27 consecutive double-doubles in 2021-22, a year in which she led the Gamecocks to their second-ever women's basketball title.

Christian Wilkins, Clemson

Wilkins and the 2018 Clemson senior class is the most accomplished in program history, achieving a staggering 55-4 record, two 15-0 championship seasons, three CFP title game berths and four consecutive trips to the playoff. Wilkins was a stalwart force in the middle of Clemson's defensive line throughout that run, combining for 191 career tackles, 41 tackles for loss and 16 sacks across his four seasons in Clemson. It all culminated with a 2018 season in which he won the William V. Campbell Trophy (the academic Heisman) and unanimous All-America honors as he bookended his career with his second CFP championship.

Kip Bouknight, South Carolina

Bouknight is the most dominant pitcher in South Carolina Gamecocks history, still claiming school records in innings pitched (482), starts (66), wins (45) and strikeouts (457), a quarter-century after he concluded his career in Columbia. Though he wasn't part of a championship team with South Carolina — the Gamecocks wouldn't win their first until nine years after he left school — Bouknight remains perhaps the most decorated player in Gamecocks history. His junior season in 2000 was particularly dominant, as he shoved his way to a nation-leading 17 wins while posting a 2.81 ERA en route to winning the Golden Spikes and Rotary Smith Award.

Connor Shaw, South Carolina

There are more physically imposing players in South Carolina history. More statistically dominant. Players with more "wow" factor. And yet, none was more intricately involved with the single-greatest stretch in Gamecocks history than Connor Shaw. Shaw, the starting quarterback for three 11-win seasons in row from 2011-13, has the best record as a starting quarterback in program history, going 27-5 as a starter with a 5-1 record against rivals Clemson (3-0) and Georgia (2-1). Shaw also led South Carolina to three bowl game wins in a row, including a final game in the 2014 Capital One Bowl in which he threw three touchdowns, ran for another and caught one more in an MVP performance.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: USA250: 10 greatest college athletes from South Carolina

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