There were a lot of problems with South Carolina football during the Will Muschamp Era. With the exception of a 9 win season capped off with an inevitable victory against the Michigan Wolverines in the Outback Bowl, we sucked with Muschamp. A lot of the problems seemed to start with the players on the roster. While it can be argued that Muschamp’s staff recruited a number of talented players, they were also responsible for some of the worst South Carolina football players in decades. I understand a few of the players on this list were walk-ons and shouldn’t be held to the standard of those who deserve to be Division 1 athletes. However, these student “athletes” had no business wearing the coveted garnet and black and enjoying the respect that come along with it.
Nevertheless, here is our list of the top 5 worst South Carolina football players from the Will Muschamp era at the University of South Carolina.
5. Brandon Mcillwain QB
It could easily be argued that Brandon Mcillwain was the biggest bust of the Will Muschamp era. Brandon Mcillwain was 4-star dual threat recruit that many compared to Russel Wilson. Unfortunately for the Gamecock faithful, Brandon Mcillwain turned out to be a complete bust that had no sense of ball security whatsoever. Here are some of the numbers that Brandon Mcillwain put up during his short time with South Carolina football.
Brandon Mcillwain Stats at South Carolina
Games Played: 8
Passing Yards: 600yds
Rushing Yards: 127yds
Completion Percentage: 52.5%
Interceptions: 1
Touchdowns: 2
Needless to say I think we are all glad that Brandon Mcillwain got benched, giving Perry Orth and Jake Bentley an opportunity. Doesn’t seem like he was a good fit in the Pac 12 either.
4. Slade Carroll RB
Slade Carroll originally signed his letter of intent at Charleston Southern University but made the mistake of flipping to Midlands Technical College before eventually enrolling at the University of South Carolina. He immediately found himself buried so deep in the depth chart that it seemed as though he would never see a pair of pads, let alone a snap in a game. Through hard work and dedication Slade found his way onto the scout team and eventually earned playing time in two regular season games. Here is Slade Carroll’s stats at South Carolina during those two contests.
Slade Carroll Football Stats at South Carolina
Games Played: 2
Carries: 4
Rushing Yards: 42
These stats don’t reflect Slade Carroll’s accomplishments outside of Williams-Brice Stadium. He won the 2019 Offensive Scout Team award and was named to the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll in both 2018 and 2019. We wish Slade the best of luck as he pursues a coaching career.
3. Jason Senn DB
Jason Senn may have been one of the least impactful defensive backs to ever play for South Carolina. Standing at 5′ 8″ 180lbs, Senn struggled to be seen as anything more than a glorified piece of practice equipment. Despite being undersized, Senn fought his way up the depth chart to see playing time in three games, the first of which being during his senior day against The University of Tennessee Chattanooga. Below are Jason Senn’s stats at the University of South Carolina in those games.
Jason Senn Football Stats at South Carolina
Games Played: 3
Tackles: 6
Interceptions: 0
Passes Broken Up: 0
Jason Senn may have been one of the most irrelevant defensive backs to ever set foot on the field at Williams-Brice Stadium.
2. Drew Dinsmore QB
Despite a lackluster high school career, Drew Dinsmore somehow found his way as a part of the South Carolina Football program. After winning only 2 games in his senior year, Muschamp’s staff thought it was reasonable to waste a walk-on spot on Drew Dinsmore. The only positive of having Drew Dinsmore on the roster was to provide Jake Bentley with additional confidence that he would certainly start the season as QB1. Drew saw limited snaps during spring ball and even fewer during fall camp. Naturally he was unable to record any statistics during his time at South Carolina. His biggest contribution to South Carolina Football was Danny Gordon’s helmet while he signaled plays during practices.
Drew Dinsmore Football Stats at South Carolina
Games Played: 0
Passing Yards: 0
Rushing Yards: 0
Touchdowns: 0
Interceptions: 0
We wish him the best of luck with his future endeavors outside of football.
1. Parker Rankin TE
Parker Rankin, there is not much to say about this one. During his 3 month stint with the Gamecocks Parker Rankin saw little action. During the little action he did see he stood out as having arguably the worst hands on the team dropping ball after ball during spring practices. Here are Parker Rankin’s Football Stats at the University of South Carolina.
Parker Rankin Football Stats at South Carolina
Games Played: 0
Receptions: 0
Receiving Yards: 0
Side note, Parker Rankin served as a male cheerleader before walking on to the football team.
Honorable Mentions
Some players were bad but didn’t quite make the list of the worst South Carolina football players during the Will Muschamp era. Here are a few of the student athletes that fell just outside the top 5.
Jay Urich, Jazuun Outlaw, Alexander Woznick, Cameron Johnson, Malik Young, Josh Belk, Darius Douglas, Korey Banks, Scott Grant, Caleb Jenerette, Austin Snow, Matthew Smith, Mitch Langford, Cole Davis, Ryan Green, Shemar Glenn, Nick Muse, Corbett Glick, Chandler Farrell, Christian Kinsley, Eddie Buckhouse.