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 21 days away.
With all due respect to other fan-favorite No. 21s like DeVonte Holloman, Ryan Brewer, or early-career Nick Emmanwori, Marcus Lattimore is the top Gamecock to ever wear it. It’s not often that a program’s biggest “what-if” is also one of the most accomplished players in conference history, but that is reality for Lattimore.
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A five-star prospect in the class of 2010, Lattimore was one of several elite in-state prospects who elected to stay home, changing the trajectory of the South Carolina football program forever. The Byrnes High School product became an immediate star in garnet and black.
Following a two-touchdown performance in his first collegiate game against Southern Miss, Lattimore dominated the Georgia Bulldogs to the tune of 182 yards and two scores. He went on to post one of the best freshman seasons in Southeastern Conference history. His best overall game of the year came against Florida, as he gashed the Gators for 212 yards and three touchdowns to help the Gamecocks clinch their only-ever SEC East Championship. No one other than George Rogers has rushed for more yards at Carolina than Lattimore did in 2010. He also set a single-season touchdown record (17 rushing, 19 total). He was an All-American as a freshman–not just a Freshman All-American but an All-American.
The 2011 season was off to an even better start for Lattimore. The SEC Freshman of the Year began his sophomore campaign by logging 1000 yards from scrimmage and 11 total touchdowns through just seven games but had his season cut short due to a torn ACL against Mississippi State. Despite the injury, he made it back for the start of the 2012 season.
As a junior, Lattimore was special again. However, against Tennessee, he suffered one of the most gruesome sports injuries of all time. His dislocated knee came with complete tears of every ligament and tendon. In the end, he was never able to return to game action.
Because of his injuries, Lattimore missed about a year and a half of his potential eligibility. Still, he finished his career as Carolina’s all-time leader in touchdowns (38 rushing, 41 total). All three of Lattimore’s seasons rank among South Carolina’s top 10 in rushing scores. He is the only Gamecock ever to post double-digit touchdowns in multiple seasons. No. 21 did so three times.
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Even with the prospects of playing again slim, the San Francisco 49ers drafted Lattimore in 2013. The injury was too much to overcome, though, and he retired in 2014. Lattimore briefly coached at Heathwood Hall in Columbia before spending two years on USC’s staff under head coach Will Muschamp.
The all-time leader in points among non-kickers, Lattimore was an easy choice for the University of South Carolina Lettermen’s Hall of Fame in 2019. He was the Gamecocks’ SEC Legend honored in 2023. He then earned induction into the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame in 2024.
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