It’s no real surprise who Tavien Feaster idolized as a young boy growing up in Spartanburg, S.C. … former South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore.

Every young football player growing up in the Spartanburg area looked up to Lattimore because of his ties there. Lattimore became a star recruit out of Byrnes High School in Duncan, S.C., where he was Mr. Football in the state of South Carolina and was a Parade High School All-American.

“He was the best running back in the country,” Feaster said proudly.

Lattimore did not disappoint at South Carolina. As a true freshman he rushed for 1,197 yards while leading the Gamecocks to a 10-3 season, just the second 10-win season in school history at the time.

Despite suffering from severe knee injuries during both his sophomore and junior years, Lattimore still set the South Carolina rushing record for career touchdowns with 38.

“To me, if he had not gotten hurt, I don’t know if there would have been a Todd Gurley,” Feaster said. “To me, he was that guy. He was the guy. But unfortunately, he suffered through some tough injuries.”

But watching Lattimore play through it all and give it all he had and represent himself the way he did despite going through back-to-back knee injuries motivated Feaster to be the best he could be.

That of course landed Feaster at Lattimore’s rival school, Clemson, as the former Spartanburg High School superstar gets his opportunity to make a name for himself in the Clemson-Carolina rivalry.

One of his favorite memories of the rivalry game during his youth was watching Marcus Lattimore play in the game.

“I watched Marcus Lattimore every time he played,” Feaster said.

Besides Lattimore playing in the 2010 game, Feaster’s other fondest memory of the rivalry was the 2014 game. He was in attendance that afternoon on a recruiting trip and he remembers how great it was to see Clemson snap its five-game losing streak to the Gamecocks.

“It was great to see those guys get it back,” he said.

The Tigers (10-1) have not lost it since, and carry a win streak of three games over the Gamecocks into Saturday’s 7:30 p.m. kick in Columbia.

Feaster says he and the other players from the Palmetto State are reminding the new out-of-state players why beating South Carolina is so important.

“You have to live with it for an entire year, until you get another opportunity to play these guys,” the sophomore said. “South Carolina fans are everywhere. Clemson fans are everywhere so this is a must-win game right here.”

Feaster knows a couple of players on Carolina’s roster from his high school days and he is looking forward to competing with them. And though some of them will be talking a little smack to him, he said he will not engage in the chitchat. Instead, he will let his actions do the talking.

“It will be something special. Just to beat those guys,” he said. “They’re our rival and I’m an in-state guy … I know a couple of guys that will be out there, but I don’t really talk trash in a game so I don’t think that is really going to affect me.”