GAMECOCK SUPERSTAR PRAISED BY DRAFT ANALYST
In news that will come as a shock to absolutely no one who has watched the first half of the 2012 college football season, University of South Carolina defensive lineman Jadeveon Clowney has been billed as the best sophomore football player in America.
According to ESPN insider Todd McShay, the 6-foot-6, 256-pound sophomore from Rock Hill, S.C. stands atop a list of “five true sophomores who have shown the potential and ability to be first-round picks in this year’s draft, were they eligible.”
Um … ya think?
“I have not seen a more consistently disruptive defender than Clowney, and that includes LSU’s Barkevious Mingo and Sam Montgomery, Georgia’s Jarvis Jones and Utah’s Star Lotulelei,” McShay writes. “Those are all great players in their own right, and most of them are more advanced in their skills than Clowney is. But Clowney has been more disruptive. And these are all first-half-of-the-first-round draft prospects we’re talking about.”
The former No. 1 national high school recruit and 2011 SEC Freshman of the Year has made tremendous strides this season, ranking second in the SEC in sacks (6.5) and tackles for loss (12). He’s also registered multiple pressures and pass deflections – not to mention forced offensive lines to rethink their match-ups in an effort to try and contain him.
Clowney was held without a sack against Louisiana State last week , though – a strong performance by the Tigers which may have been aided by some ill-advised pre-game trash talk on Clowney’s part.
Still, there’s really no disputing the fact that this 19-year-old phenom is currently the best football player in the best football conference in America – which in our estimation makes him the best football player in the land.
He’s clearly taking that “next step” toward justifying all those comparisons to NFL legend Lawrence Taylor.
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24 comments
Beast.
No sacks against a real offensive line and still considered the best?
Why was he on the sidelines with a BCS bowl game on the line?
they were running right at him. Most hard charging DE’s are susceptible to that tactic. Spurrier pulled him on certain situations to force their offense to do something else. You obviously do not have a detailed knowledge of the game and the strategy used to play it or you would have seen it and realized what was happening.
Wow: Compare JD and SC to D’Quan Bowers BUST at Clemson…
Guess who will be getting the No. 1, Recruits from now on….and who won’t…
Let me get the strategy straight: game on the line with BCS national championship implications and genius Spurrier pulls the nation’s best lineman?
Perhpas Clowney could have used some technique other than bull rushing past play after play after play? Perhaps, oh, I don’t know, say the 20th time they ran “right at him” and he was in the backfield chatting with the QB about how nice that play is working?
Shouldn’t the nation’s best lineman have more than one move in his arsenal?
Won’t be for much if they go 7-5 this season.
With that schedule even Clemson can do better than 7-5…
Although I will LMAO if Duke beats you…and VT could be a struggle, even if the Hokies are pretty weak…and Beamer on the down-slide…
Clemson…good for a belly-laugh every year…
Big Twit, are you assuming that I’m a Clemson fan? I’m not, and you’re still an idiot who proves it with every post.
According to Cockytalk, Lattimore unlikely to play Saturday because of hip bruise, Sanders and Ellington and a few others have the flu, and Clowney is nursing a hurt foot. Have a good evening.
Sammyw Watkins is 10 time the player of this punk. Dabo knows talent when he see’s it and charac5ter.
But what if the NCAA bans Adderall???…will that be like bathing your ‘Superman’ (by ACC standards anyway) in kyrpto-mite…???
Are they testing him now..is that why he’s slumping?
yabba dabba doodoo dabo gunna luz 2 dem coots
Sammy will win the Heisman if Taj doesn’t?
Or Andre…3 Taters in NY for the ceremony…unprecedented…
Just ask K-Mac or Rick Sanford…
Good God, Sammy Watkins win the Heismen, what are you smoking…..never happen!
If Jadaveon Clowney is so great why did he choose to attend such a shitty school? Makes one wonder what perks he’s either receiving or has been promised.
He heard good things about 5 Points. Is it just me or does he look like he’s stoned 24/7.
I guess he wanted to beat SEC teams, win lots of nationally televised games and be nationally lauded.
Oh, he also gets to beat up on chump squads like UAB, the Citadel and Clemson, but that goes without saying.
mph, he could have done all of that at almost any SEC school, Florida, LSU, ALA, etc. The question is why did he choose such a sitty school as SCar? I’m thinking he couldn’t have maintained a passing average anywhere other than SCar. In fact, I wonder if he’s actually required to attend classes.
Duh, I what sense is USC a shitty school? Academically it’s better or on par with all mentioned. Athletically, USC has easily handled UF lately, beat AL two years ago and what shit for brains would think LSU/Baton Rogue is a better school/town?
Also consider he might like playing an hour from his mother and have some pride in his state. Hell, he might have taken Spurrier seriously, who was offered the job at AL before Saban, and tried to build a good program at USC. Yeah, pride and a challenge. What an idiot!
And drop the bullshit about if he is actually required to attend classes. There has never been an accusation of academic fraud at USC, unlike UNC which has now overtaken Miami as the nation’s great shame on that front.
mph, where is the SCar Campus? Is there anyone that can point out where the school is? Williams Brice is in an area where most locals will not traverse without a gun and Carolina Stadium, albiet a great facility in itself, is again located in an area where your wife or daughter would be classed as a hooker if seen walking down the street alone. And, I was not insinuating there is any academic fraud, just trying to rationalize why someone with his talent who could play at virtually any school he chose, would pick SCar as his venue.
Dont bring his mama into this. She stated publicly that she was disappointed he did not go to Clemson. Momma knows best!
Bullshit, Clowney is the best, good kid and Mama wanted him at SC, not with Dumbo the speedster!
Apparently not. Last I checked, JC has more sacks than Clemson’s entire team.