High-quality surface-soil characteristics are important for developing environmentally sustainable agroecosystems. We evaluated the factorial combination of fertilization regime (inorganic and broiler litter) and tall fescue [Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb.) Darbysh.]–endophyte association (free, novel, and wild) with cattle grazing (plus a control treatment of inorganic fertilizer + novel endophyte with haying) on surface soil compaction and soil organic C and total N sequestration during 8 yr of management on a previously degraded Typic Kanhapludult in Georgia. Soil organic C and total N were sequestered with time at all depth intervals to 20 cm (0–3, 3–6, 6–12, and 12–20 cm). At a depth of 0 to 6 cm (surface zone most responsive to management), soil organic C sequestration was (i) greater with grazed than with hayed management (1.36 vs. 0.69 Mg C ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹, respectively), (ii) similar between broiler litter and inorganic fertilization, (iii) similar among endophyte associations, and (iv) similar among zones within a grazed pasture. At a depth of 0 to 20 cm, soil organic C and total N sequestration were not significantly affected by treatment variables, but high mean sequestration rates of 1.51 Mg C ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ and 0.126 Mg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ during managed grazing of tall fescue in addition to the previous decade of unmanaged herbaceous fallow (implied sequestration rates of 0.76 Mg C ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ and 0.062 Mg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) suggests that improved grazing management systems can have an enormous benefit to surface soil fertility restoration of degraded soils in the southeastern United States.