With nine days until South Carolina kicks off 2025 season, a look back at No. 9, Todd Ellis

South Carolina football will take the field for the first time in the 2025 season on August 31st when the Gamecocks take on the Virginia Tech Hokies in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. That means kickoff is just nine days away.

No. 9 is most often associated with one player: former quarterback Todd Ellis. Ellis, one of the most prolific passers in school history, has been around the program almost continuously for 40 years.

Join GamecockCentral now for $1 your first week and enjoy a complimentary year of The Athletic – included with your membership.

One of the top high school recruits in the nation, Ellis joined South Carolina and redshirted in 1985. He then was a four-year starter in garnet and black.

Ellis threw for over 3000 yards as a freshman in 1986, with over 1000 of those yards going to new Pro Football Hall of Famer, Sterling Sharpe. The duo had another solid connection in 1987, as they became the only South Carolina pitch-and-catch combination to share All-American honors.

Ellis helped lead the Gamecocks to back-to-back eight-win seasons in 1987 and 1988. Both seasons resulted in bowl berths during an era with fewer postseason contests. His senior year was cut short due to injury.

He also racked up the passing yards as the leader of the Carolina offense. Even missing some time in 1989, he finished his career with 9953 yards through the air. That remains a Gamecock record. At the time, that number was a top 10 total in college football history.

No. 9 ranks second in team history in completions and fourth in passing touchdowns. No other QB has at least 10 300-yard passing performances at South Carolina. Ellis also owned virtually every freshman passing record for the Gamecocks. However, LaNorris Sellers’ 2024 season claimed a handful of those marks.

The 1987 Gamecocks, led by a fierce defense (the “Black Death”) and a fast-paced passing attack led by Ellis, were one of the most talented groups in the country. Though they finished with four losses, all four defeats came away from home against top-15 foes.

Get USC Gamecocks app notifications

Following his graduation, Ellis briefly played professionally, spending time with the NFL’s Denver Broncos and the World League of American Football’s Sacramento Surge (the Broncos selected him in the 1990 NFL Draft). When his playing days concluded, he returned to USC and earned his law degree. Ellis still practices law in Columbia.

More famously, the former Gamecock captain is part of every South Carolina football gameday. The “Voice of the Gamecocks,” Ellis has served as the radio play-by-play man since 2003. He mans the booth with fellow former USC quarterback Tommy Suggs. Ellis is also a part of head coach Shane Beamer’s call-in show, “Carolina Calls.”

In 2005, the University of South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame inducted Ellis.

Discuss South Carolina football on The Insiders Forum!