SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS FOOTBALL
It's the last day of the decade, with 2019 on its way out and 2020 on the horizon.
With that comes the final of four All-Decade teams from GamecockCentral, culminating with the South Carolina's football program.
The decade had it all with four wins over Clemson, three 11-win seasons and struggles to end the 10 year stretch but a lot of program greats played over the last few years.
There were a litany of players to choose from with each member of GamecockCentral's staff getting a vote on who to pick.
Without any more waiting, South Carolina's all-decade football team.
Quarterback: Connor Shaw
Shaw was the team's signal-caller for some of the greatest seasons in program history and a big reason why they won. He went 27-5 as a starter, including never losing in 17 home starts. He never was named to an All-SEC team by the media or coaches, but his stats show he's one of the best players in program history.
He finished throwing for 6,074 yards, averaging 8.3 yards per attempt, and threw just 16 interceptions over a four year career. His senior season he threw 24 touchdowns to just one interceptions.
Others receiving votes: None
Also see: Instant analysis from Monday's loss
Running back: Marcus Lattimore
One of the best to ever run the football before injuries shortened his career, Lattimore burst onto the scene as a freshman as part of the Gamecocks' 2010 SEC East Championship season. Two separate knee injuries ended his career prematurely but he finished still with 2,677 rushing yards and 38 touchdowns and 767 receiving yards and three more scores.
Others receiving votes: Mike Davis
Wide receivers: Alshon Jeffery, Pharoh Cooper, Bryan Edwards
Jeffery was an All-SEC and All-American receiver at South Carolina, setting a school record with 3,042 yards in three seasons with 23 scores. He also had some of the more eye-popping memories this decade with his catch against Alabama and the Hail Mary haul against Nebraska. Cooper was one of the more prolific receivers this decade as well, headlined by his 233 yards against Tennessee in 2014. He'd finish his career a five-time All-SEC selection as a receiver or all-purpose player. Edwards is the most recent player on the team, coming in and resetting almost every school receiving record. He left after this season with school records in receptions (234) and yards (3,405) and will go down as a top five receiver in school history.
Others receiving votes: Deebo Samuel
Offensive line: AJ Cann, Corey Robinson, Brandon Shell, Donell Stanley
Cann was an All-American as a senior in 2014 and first-team All-SEC the same year. He ended his career second all-time in career starts at 51 while Robinson started on the offensive line for three seasons between 2012-14 to the tune of 35 starts, mostly at left tackle, after moving to defensive line early in his career only to move back.
Shell started every game at left tackle in his senior season (2015) and ended his career making 47 consecutive starts bouncing between right and left tackle. He ended his career sixth all-time in games played. Stanley was a swiss army knife for the Gamecocks, playing both guard and center in his five playable seasons in Columbia. He played in 50 games with 38 starts.
Others receiving votes: Zack Bailey, Dennis Daley, Ronald Patrick
Center: TJ Johnson
Johnson started a school record 53 games over four years and was a second-team All-SEC selection as a senior and is the only South Carolina player to win all four starts against Clemson.
Others receiving votes: Zack Bailey
Also see: The latest on Alex Huntley
Defensive end: Jadeveon Clowney, Melvin Ingram
Two guys who would always end up on the All-Decade team, Clowney was a beast from the time he stepped on campus until he left, earning multiple All-American honors and giving Gamecocks maybe the play of the decade with The Hit against Michigan.
Ingram was an All-SEC selection by Phil Steele in 2010 and finished his Gamecock career with 111 tackles and 21.5 sacks and also had one of hte more memorable plays of the decade with his fake punt return against Georgia.
Others receiving votes: Devin Taylor
Defensive tackle: Javon Kinlaw, Taylor Stallworth
Both are more recent selections, with Kinlaw a dominant force as a senior to the tune of a few All-SEC and All-American selections after a 35-tackle, six tack season. He ended his career at South Carolina with 82 tackles and 10 sacks after two really good seasons back to back.
Stallworth was one of the more underrated players of the early-Muschamp teams, playing in all 26 games to end his career and racking up 71 tackles and deflecting five passes.
Others receiving votes: Melvin Ingram, Kelcy Quarles, Travian Robertson
Linebackers: Shaq Wilson, Skai Moore, TJ Brunson
Most of these players are more recent with Moore and Brunson finishing up their careers over the last two seasons. Moore tied the school interception record with 14 and had All-SEC and All-American selections over his career. He was also named Comeback Player of the Year in 2017 after missing all of 2016 with a neck injury. He also led the team in tackles all four years he played.
Wilson played five seasons at South Carolina, amassing 246 tackles and four sacks to four interceptions as well. Brunson was a three-year starter where he racked up 283 total tackles with 21 for loss. He led the team in 2018 with 106 tackles and had 10.5 tackles for loss.
Others receiving votes: DeVonte Holloman, TJ Holloman
Cornerbacks: Stephon Gilmore, Victor Hampton
Gilmore is an unanimous selection with Hampton finished one vote shy of being unanimous. Gilmore was a stalwart as part of the early 2010s teams. He was a freshman All-American before earning All-American honors a few more times of his career as well. He earned numerous All-SEC nominations as well over his career where he picked up 181 tackles, eight interceptions and seven sacks.
Hampton was an All-SEC pick by Phil Steele with 105 tackles and five interceptions over his career.
Others receiving votes: Jaycee Horn
Safeties: D.J. Swearinger, Antonio Allen
Swearinger was an All-SEC player and spark plug for the Gamecocks in his three seasons this decade, putting up career numbers in 2011 with 80 tackles and three interceptions. He brought a swagger to the team and will most likely be remembered for his hit and flex in the game at Clemson and his pick-six against Arkansas after being penalized the two plays before it.
Allen doesn't get the accolades guys like Gilmore or Swearinger get but he was an insanely productive player during his time at South Carolina. He played two seasons this decade and set career highs in tackles and interceptions both times, including one pick six against Clemson in 2010. He'd finish his career with 198 tackles, four picks and 20 tackles for loss.
Others receiving votes: DeVonte Holloman
Kicker/punter: Elliott Fry, Joseph Charlton
Both specialists are probably the most decorated in school history. Fry turned in an All-Freshman campaign and wound up being the schools all-time leading scorer with 359 career points. He'd finish his career missing just one of his 162 extra points and was 66-for-88 on field goals.
Charlton set records for punting average in back to back seasons, capped by his 47.7 yards per punt in 2019. He had 68 punts for 3,244 yards.
Others receiving votes: None
Punt/kick returner: Ace Sanders, Deebo Samuel
Both had some of the most electric special teams plays in school history with Sanders' punt return for a touchdown against Georgia one of the program's best moments this decade. He'd finish his career with 53 punt returns for 594 yards, an 11.2 average, with three touchdowns.
Samuel was the team's kick returner for a long time and made some of the biggest plays of his career from that spot. He was off to an electric start in 2017 with two touchdowns from the return spot through three games before injury.
Others receiving votes: None
Also see: What Frank Martin said after the loss
Coach of the Decade: Steve Spurrier
Yes the end of the Spurrier era was rocky but the Head Ball Coach led teh program to highs it hadn't reached prior to his arrival. He was the architect behind the three 11-win seasons with plenty of NFL talent on the roster. Over his last five full seasons, Spurrier went 49-17 with one SEC title game appearance and went 4-1 in bowl games.
He tailed off after three 11-win years with a 7-6 and left halfway through the 2016 season when the Gamecocks were 2-4 and they ultimately went 3-9.
Others receiving votes: None
Offensive Player of the Decade: Marcus Lattimore, Alshon Jeffery (tie)
Lattimore and Jeffery were two of the best players to come through the program since 2010 and both left their mark in different ways. Lattimore, a freshman All-American, had his career shortened by injury only to turn his story into a positive and become the leader of South Carolina's beyond football program.
Jeffery is arguably the best receiver in South Carolina history and his stats back that up with multiple all-conference and All-American honors while he set a few records over the course of his career.
Others receiving votes: Connor Shaw, Bryan Edwards
Defensive Player of the Decade: Jadeveon Clowney
This seems almost like a no-brainer with Clowney the best player on that side of the ball for the better part of his career and parlaying that into the No. 1 overall draft pick.
He still holds the record for sacks in a game (4.5), tackles for loss in a season (23.5), sacks in a season (13) and forced fumbles (9) and is second all-time in tackles for loss (47) and third in career sacks with 24.
Others receiving votes: Skai Moore
Special Teams Player of the Decade: Deebo Samuel
Samuel was special returning the ball, putting up record-setting numbers in the kick return game. He'd end his career with 1,219 yards returning with four touchdowns and a 29 yard per return average, both school records.
He was one of the most productive players ever at South Carolina, ending with 2,2330 yards from scrimmage and 28 total touchdowns.
Others receiving votes: Elliott Fry
Freshman of the Decade: Marcus Lattimore
There's good freshmen years and then there's what Marcus Lattimore did his first year in Columbia. Lattimore won SEC Freshman of the Year in 2010 with 1,197 yards and averaging 4.8 yards per carry with 17 touchdowns.
He'd jump into record books with 212 yards rushing against Florida, 10th-most in a single game, and has two of the top 10 performances in terms of carries that year as well.
His almost 1,200 yards are fourth-most in a single season and his touchdowns set a school record.
Others receiving votes: None
