Cocky makes ESPN’s college football Mascot Power Rankings list
The University of South Carolina’s beloved mascot, Cocky, received some flowers from the worldwide leader in sports on Thursday.
ESPN’s Ryan McGee took it upon himself to create a power rankings of College Football mascots and Cocky made the cut.
McGee broke the power rankings into four categories: the Costume Division, Mechanized Division, Human Division and Live Animal Division. Each division had five ranked honorees.
Cocky in the Cockaboose, specifically, earned the No. 5 spot in the Mechanized Division in ESPN’s power rankings.
“Cocky is one of America’s most underrated costume mascots, with a Big Red-like bouncy body and the biggest feet this side of Shaquille O’Neal,” McGee wrote. “Prior to every game at Williams-Brice Stadium, amid the stirring sounds of ’2001: A Space Odyssey,’ Cocky rides onto the field in a train pulling a red caboose, a nod to the folks in the ‘Cockaboose’ luxury boxes partying outside the stadium, and escorting Gamecocks celebs, from Marcus Lattimore to Darius Rucker.”
The Cockaboose was introduced into Cocky’s football pregame routine in 2023. Prior to that, Cocky appeared out of a black box of sorts.
Cocky was beat out by Oklahoma’s Sooner Schooner, Georgia Tech’s Buzz in the Ramblin’ Wreck, Wake Forest’s Demon Deacon on a chopper and Montana’s Monte on a Harley who were ranked No. 1 through No. 4, respectively.
South Carolina’s mascot has received plenty of recognition since it was first seen on the sidelines in 1980. Cocky is a regular in the Capital One Mascot Challenges, a two-time UCA (Universal Cheerleaders Association) National Champion in 1989 and 1994 and was an NCA (National Cheerleaders Association) National Champion in 2009.
In 2019, Cocky was named as one of the best mascots in college football history by Sports Illustrated. This year, Cocky appeared on the 2025 Mascot Hall of Fame ballot.
See the rest of ESPN’s power rankings here.
This story was originally published July 24, 2025 at 3:30 PM.
