With 98 days until South Carolina football kicks off 2026, a look at No. 98, Devin Taylor

South Carolina football will take the field for the first time in 2026 on September 5 against Kent State. Williams-Brice Stadium will play host to the Gamecocks and Golden Flashes at 12:45 p.m., just 98 days from today.

The number 98 has not been an overly popular number for Carolina. Even so, a modern era standout proudly wore the number: defensive end Devin Taylor.

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Taylor, a Palmetto State native from Beaufort High School, looked more like a basketball player than an SEC defensive lineman, but former defensive line coach Brad Lawing saw something in the lanky 6-8 pass rusher. Taylor rewarded Lawing’s faith in him with a great career.

Following a redshirt in 2008, Taylor became a major contributor as a redshirt freshman. He split reps with future NFL Draft picks Melvin Ingram, Clifton Geathers, and Cliff Matthews but still picked up some Freshman All-American recognition. Three years with All-SEC honors came next, as he averaged 10 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks per year from 2010 to 2012, despite Jadeveon Clowney joining the fray, too.

Taylor’s best statistical season came as a redshirt sophomore. In 2010, he logged 7.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, and eight pass breakups for the SEC East-winning Gamecocks. He was part of one of the best defensive fronts in program history and still made an impact.

Despite playing with his hand in the dirt for most of his snaps, Taylor added a pair of pick-sixes during his career. He also excelled at knocking down passes at the line of scrimmage, doing so eight times as a sophomore and six times as a senior. Unsurprisingly, Taylor used his length and athleticism to block a pair of kicks during his time in Columbia, too.

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Taylor’s legacy is one of being one of South Carolina football’s most underrated players. He finished his career ranked third among Gamecocks in sacks (behind only Eric Norwood and Jadeveon Clowney) and sixth in tackles for loss. In fitting fashion, Taylor’s first snap at USC was a forced fumble, and his final one was a pass breakup. Both plays helped Carolina win close games against NC State (2009) and Michigan (2012), respectively.

After wrapping up his career in garnet and black, Taylor earned fourth-round selection in the 2013 NFL Draft. He spent five total seasons with the Detroit Lions and New York Giants. He had a seven-sack campaign in 2015 as a reserve. Then, he was a full-season starter in 2016. Taylor finished his professional career with multiple seasons in the XFL.

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