South Carolina football's top 10 all-time cornerbacks

With spring practice over for South Carolina, Gamecock fans have less than three months before their favorite team takes the field again for a game. To help bridge the gap (along with all of the recruiting coverage and summer updates you can read on GamecockCentral.com), GamecockCentral will be running a top-10 players by position series.

First, we took a look at the all-time great USC running backs.

Then, we voted on the best Carolina wide receivers in program history.

Following that up, we examined the top Gamecock tight ends.

Next, it was all about determining the top offensive linemen ever to block in Columbia.

The final offensive position we looked at was the quarterback spot.

Then, we moved on to the defensive side of the ball, specifically the best defensive tackles in team history.

Two weeks ago, defensive ends/EDGEs were the topic of discussion.

Last week, we checked in on the linebacker position.

Now, this week, our attention shifts to the secondary and the cornerback position. For the purpose of this exercise, some nickels, especially ones who also saw reps outside at corner, were considered.

Chris Clark, Wes Mitchell, and I have put together our own top 10 lists. Many of the Gamecock Faithful on The Insiders Forum also have taken part in a two-part voting run this week.

Not every good coverage player could make the lists. Really good players like Darius Rush, Frank Adams, Robert Robinson, Rashad Fenton, Chris Culliver, OD Fortune, and Harry Skipper were part of the conversations, despite not making the top 10s.

The results of all the voting are below, including a note on each player mentioned:

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Chris Clark

1. Sheldon Brown
2. Stephon Gilmore
3. Jaycee Horn
4. Dickie Harris
5. Bobby Bryant
6. Johnathan Joseph
7. Chris Major
8. Dunta Robinson
9. Captain Munnerlyn
10. Andre Goodman

Why Sheldon Brown is No. 1: ““At one of the most loaded positions in South Carolina history, Sheldon Brown stands at the top. The two-time All-American was a dominant cover corner and a big hitter when given the chance. He easily earned his spots as a USC Lettermen’s Hall of Famer and SEC Legend.”

Wes Mitchell

1. Sheldon Brown
2. Stephon Gilmore
3. Jaycee Horn
4. Bobby Bryant
5. Dunta Robinson
6. Johnathan Joseph
7. Cam Smith
8. Captain Munnerlyn
9. Andre Goodman
10. Terry Cousin

Why Sheldon Brown is No. 1: “A two-time All-American at South Carolina, Sheldon Brown was the definition of a lockdown corner. In addition to a great career in Columbia, he also stayed in the league for a decade. He narrowly beats out Stephon Gilmore in my rankings.”

Kevin Miller

1. Sheldon Brown
2. Stephon Gilmore
3. Bobby Bryant
4. Dickie Harris
5. Jaycee Horn
6. Johnathan Joseph
7. Dunta Robinson
8. Captain Munnerlyn
9. Chris Major
10. Andre Goodman

Why Sheldon Brown is No. 1: “One of several multi-time All-American cornerbacks at Carolina, Sheldon Brown might have been the best combination of coverage ability and tackling acumen. He blanketed receivers in the passing game and made his presence felt in run support. This wasn’t an easy choice as several players were deserving, but Brown gets the nod.”

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Votes in parentheses

1. Stephon Gilmore (88)
2. Jaycee Horn (58)
T-3. Sheldon Brown (55)
T-3. Johnathan Joseph (55)
5. Captain Munnerlyn (43)
6. Bobby Bryant (36)
7. Dunta Robinson (34)
8. Dickie Harris (29)
9. Andre Goodman (27)
10. Fred Bennett (19)

Notes on the Gamecock Greats

Stephon Gilmore: Stephon Gilmore is the most physically gifted corner in South Carolina football history. With elite safety size but an otherworldly speed-quickness profile for a player his size, Gilmore was one of the best to ever do it in Columbia. He made the Freshman All-American squad in 2009 and earned back-to-back All-American nods his remaining two years as a Gamecock. To go along with his natural coverage ability, Gilmore was a good tackler and had elite ball skills. He also helped out a little on offense as a wildcat quarterback. The 2019 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, he will one day be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Sheldon Brown: A two-sport athlete who spent some time on the baseball diamond in garnet and black, Sheldon Brown was a great player for Lou Holtz’s Gamecocks. Like many of his defensive teammates, he played with aggression and physicality, often making opposing skill position players regret the decision to challenge him. Brown wasn’t the tallest corner (listed at just 5-10), but he played much bigger than his listed size thanks to his fight and larger-than-life play on the field. He also made a pair of All-American teams before spending more than a decade in the National Football League.

Jaycee Horn: Jaycee Horn was criminally underrated by the national media while he played for South Carolina. Horn was a menace in coverage and excelled both inside at nickel and on an island on the outside. He made just one All-SEC team with the Gamecocks, likely because he didn’t log a ton of interceptions and pass deflections (that’s what happens when opposing teams don’t want to throw your way). The NFL knew how good Horn was, though, as he was a top 10 pick in 2021. This offseason, he signed the biggest defensive back contract in league history.

Bobby Bryant: Because he played so long ago, not enough people know about the excellence of Bobby Bryant. A two-sport star at South Carolina, he won the ACC Athlete of the Year award in 1967 following an All-American year at corner and All-ACC performance on the mound for the Gamecock baseball team. Bryant was a lockdown corner and an elite return man for head coaches Marvin Bass and Paul Dietzel. The South Carolina Lettermen’s Hall of Famer deserves more consideration for the Pro Football Hall of Fame after spending 13 years as a starter for the Minnesota Vikings, helping lead the Purple People Eaters defense to four Super Bowl appearances.

Dickie Harris: Dickie Harris was a popular player among Gamecock fans, potentially because he embodied the team’s mascot so well. A bit undersized, Harris was scrappy, tough as nails, and mean between the lines. He was a two-time All-American at corner but also contributed as a returner and as an occasional running back. Harris’ size kept him from sticking in the NFL, but he went on to become one of the best coverage men in Canadian Football League history.

Johnathan Joseph: A unique player because he only played one season with South Carolina, Johnathan Joseph still holds a claim as one of the top corners in team history. Following a stint in junior college, he suffered an injury in 2004. However, in 2005, Joseph was an All-SEC performer. He was one of the fastest Gamecocks ever, and, had he spent more time in a Gamecock uniform, he would have pushed even further up these lists. Demonstrating that potential, Joseph went on to become an All-Pro at the NFL level. Joseph is the league’s all-time record-holder in passes deflected, a stat that has been around since 2000.

Dunta Robinson: Dunta Robinson spent the beginning of his South Carolina career learning from Sheldon Brown and Andre Goodman. By the time the duo graduated, Robinson was ready to take up the mantle. He became an All-SEC player and team captain at the end of the Lou Holtz era. A combination of sticky in man coverage and fierce in run support, Robinson was the first corner from USC to be drafted in the top 10. He later would be joined by Stephon Gilmore and Jaycee Horn.

Andre Goodman: One of the best stories of perseverence in Gamecock history, Andre Goodman overcame a devastating knee injury to become an elite corner at South Carolina. After starting early as a freshman, he missed nearly two years with the injury and eventually earned his way back to the field at safety. However, he soon slotted back into his usual corner spot and made up one of the best one-two punches in the country along with Sheldon Brown. He earned All-SEC honors and a spot in the South Carolina Lettermen’s Hall of Fame.

Captain Munnerlyn: Captain Munnerlyn was small, but he had big game. Generously listed at just 5-9, he played nickel and outside corner en route to a two-time All-SEC career. He was an excellent special teams contributor, both as a returner and as a coverage unit player. Munnerlyn did enough in three years at USC to warrant NFL Draft selection. He went on to play 11 years, mostly for the local Carolina Panthers.

Cam Smith: A local product from Westwood High School in Blythewood, Cam Smith played with extreme confidence both inside and outside for the Gamecocks, depending on what defensive coordinator Clayton White needed from him. He was excellent in man coverage and could drape smaller, shifty receivers with his elite hips and could handle taller pass-catchers with his plus-length. Smith was an All-SEC player for South Carolina and is currently in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins.

Chris Major: Chris Major played a big role on the 1984 “Black Magic” Gamecocks. Even as a sophomore, he was a team leader and a…major…contributor. The South Carolina football career record-holder for passes deflected, Major seemingly was everywhere as he embodied the “Fire Ant” nickname of his defensive unit. Following his days in Columbia, Major was an all-star in the Canadian Football League.

Fred Bennett: Taking over for the drafted Dunta Robinson in the starting lineup, Fred Bennett picked up right where his predecessor left off in garnet and black in 2004. In 2005, both he and corner-mate Johnathan Joseph made the All-SEC team. Bennett repeated the feat as a senior and capped off his Gamecock career by keeping fellow NFL Draft pick Donnie Avery out of the end zone during that season’s Liberty Bowl.

Terry Cousin: Terry Cousin was a bright spot on some bad defenses at South Carolina. He was a good coverage player but an even better tackler. He also had a knack for making big plays, scoring a touchdown on an interception return, kickoff return, and blocked punt. The trifecta makes Cousin one of a small handful of defensive Gamecocks ever to score touchdowns in three different ways. He played over a decade in the NFL before spending some time at his alma mater as the sideline reporter.

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