The decision was inevitable really. Delayed twelve days, Jadaveon Clowney’s announcement to play at South Carolina took just seconds to make, but it was one many knew would come.
Clowney, a defensive end and the consensus No.1 football recruit in the nation from Rock Hill, SC, announced his intentions to sign with the Gamecocks Monday, Feb. 14, not only Valentine’s Day, but also his birthday.
In delaying the decision of South Carolina, Clowney (below, right) became the fourth No.1 recruit to hold off signing until well after National Signing 
Day. Past No.1 recruits, Terrelle Pryor, Bryce Brown and last year’s Seantrel Henderson, also held off their announcements. Clowney chose the Gamecocks over Clemson and Alabama.
The truth of the matter is, Clowney is the type of player that could have held out until the summer to make his college choice and a scholarship still would have been waiting for him at South Carolina. The prize catch of Steve Spurrier’s class, Clowney was the egg in the basket of a talented defensive group headed to Columbia.
The instant impact Clowney should be able to give the Gamecocks should become apparent early. Last year’s prize recruit for South Carolina, No.1 running back Marcus Lattimore (below), wasted little time making his name known throughout the college football world.
In the first game of the season against Southern Miss, Lattimore rushed for 54 yards and two scores. Not a bad performance for a freshman who was playing against fellow high schoolers just a year earlier. In the second game, against Georgia, Lattimore rushed 37 times for 182 yards and two scores, helping South Carolina take down the Dawgs.
A number of South Carolina wins can be credited to Lattimore’s success and impact in the rushing game. On the season the talented freshman brought in 1,197 yards and 19 total touchdowns.
Whether or not Clowney can have the same kind of impact Lattimore did in Columbia, still remains to be seen. Defensive stars typically take a bit longer to develop at the college ranks, especially 
defensive linemen.
Last year’s most productive true freshman on the defensive side of the ball in in college football was hardly recruited defensive lineman, Roosevelt Nix. The Kent State freshman had just four FBS scholarship offers coming out of high school, but became the Mid-American Conference Defensive Player of the Year, after bringing in 43 tackles, 20 tackles for a loss and 10 sacks. He became the first freshman to win the award in 45 years.
Nix’s outburst of production isn’t typical for freshman defensive lineman, though. Last year, eight defensive ends brought in a five star ranking by Scout.com. Of those eight, a total of nine sacks were made in 2010.UCLA’s Owamagbe Odighizuwa led all with just three.
Clowney isn’t exactly a regular five star defensive end prospect, though. The 6-foot-6, 245-pound athletic marvel is one of the lone defensive players of the last decade to become the consensus No. 1 player in the country. He reminds many of past college defensive ends Mario Williams of NC State and Da’Quan Bowers of Clemson. As a senior at South Pointe, he brought in 29.5 sacks and will bolster a South Carolina defense that already ranked fourth in the country in sacks last season, with 41.
With the departure of past five star defensive end recruit, Cliff Matthews, Clowney may also have a spot already reserved on the defensive line. As for his high school jersey number, though, he’ll have to convince strong safety Corey Addison to give up his number seven.
Perhaps the biggest winner in bringing Clowney to Columbia, is Spurrier. For the third straight year, the Ol’ Ball Coach has brought in the state’s top ranked high school player. Along with Clowney and Lattimore, Rock Hill and South Pointe alum, Stephon Gilmore, committed to the Gamecocks in 2009.
The biggest focus of Clowney’s announcement seems to be the delayed decision, though. It’s a growing and unwanted trend among the nation’s elite. He may be the final piece of the puzzle Spurrier has been looking for to finally bring in an SEC Championship, but the biggest key for Clowney will be losing the praise and acclaim he built throughout his high school career. It’s time to start over.
No comments:
Post a Comment