SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS FOOTBALL
The Gamecocks season is over, which means there are no more opportunities for players to put film out there and no more opportunities to earn Pro Football Focus grades.
While the season was classified as a disappointment at 4-8 (3-5 SEC), the Gamecocks still had a few guys grade out really well on both sides of the ball. Below are the top five overall grades on both offense and defense (minimum of 100 snaps) and then the top-graded special teams players.
LIMITED TIME OFFER: New subscribers get up to 50% off the first year plus get free Gamecocks gear! All with in-depth coverage of your Gamecocks!
For reference, PFF NFL grades 90-100 are used to signify elite players while 85-89 are Pro Bowl-level players and 70-84 are NFL Starters; 60-69 are NFL-type backups.
Also see: Latest on the OC, more on the strength and conditioning program
Offense
The highest graded offensive player with at least 100 snaps shouldn't be a surprise with Bryan Edwards finishing his season with an overall grade of 77.9 during his record-setting senior year. Edwards finished with 71 catches for 816 yards and six touchdowns while setting career records for receptions and yards this year.
Tavien Feaster was the next highest-graded Gamecock, finishing with a 76.5 overall grade after leading the Gamecocks with 672 yards and averaging 5.4 yards per carry.
His fellow running back Rico Dowdle wasn't too far behind him at 68.5 overall grade, ending his senior season with 498 yards rushing and four touchdowns as injuries hampered the final half of his season.
Donell Stanley graded out the fourth-highest with an overall grade of 66.7 with the sixth-year senior starting every game for the last two seasons. His senior season saw him finish with an 82 passing blocking grade and a run block mark of 58.5.
First-year starter Jovaughn Gwyn rounds out the top five with an overall grade of 63.8. Gwyn started all but one game this year, the season opener, in his redshirt freshman season. His pass block grade (74.3) was a little lower than Stanley's but he finished with a marginally higher run block grade (59.9).
Also see: A note on Keyshawn Bryant
Defense
It's no secret potential first-round pick Javon Kinlaw was the highest-rated defender at 89.6, finishing his monster senior season with 40 total pressures (best in the country) and 26 quarterback hurries.
Aaron Sterling finished second with an overall grade of 73.9 and a rush defense grade of 76.5 and 28 total quarterback pressures. The junior finished the regular season tied for fifth in the SEC with six sacks.
Jammie Robinson is the only true freshman to make the cut here with an overall grade just under Sterling's at 72.3. The first-year played in all 12 games, finishing with 62 tackles and had a team-best 90.3 tackling grade.
Also see: Recruiting scoop from the contact period
Jabari Ellis is fourth with a 72.5 overall grade and a 76 grade for rush defense after playing sparingly (124 snaps) but being very productive when he did see time.
After a tough sophomore year, Sherrod Greene was the fifth-highest rated defender with an overall grade of 70.9 and a rush defense grade of 74.5. His 66.6 coverage grade is tenth-best on the defense among every player who logged a snap this year.
Special teams
Joe Charlton, who didn't earn Ray Guy finalist honors, finished with an overall grade of 63.7 but his 90.7 punting grade was the fourth-best in the entire country and second in the SEC behind Syracuse's Sterling Hofrichter, Southern Cal's Ben Griffiths and Georgia's Jake Camarda.
Charlton set a school record with a 47.7 average this year on 68 punts.
Parker White's 83.5 kicking grade was ninth-best nationally and second in the SEC with the only kicker ahead of him Georgia's Rodrigo Blankenship.
In his junior year White made all 25 of his extra points and was 18-for-22 on field goals with 79 points.
Will Tommie put up the nation's 23rd-best kickoff grade at 88.4 with the only SEC kickers ahead of him being LSU's Avery Atkins, Blankenship and Tucker McCann from Missouri.
LIMITED TIME OFFER: New subscribers get up to 50% off the first year plus get free Gamecocks gear! All with in-depth coverage of your Gamecocks!
