Jadeveon Clowney To South Carolina: Top Recruit Commits To Gamecocks Over Clemson, Alabama

This fall, Jadeveon Clowney will be a South Carolina Gamecock. And with that, recruiting for the class of 2011 is done.

In his nationally televised announcement on ESPN this morning, Clowney, wearing a garnet shirt and a black tie, chose South Carolina over Clemson, joining an impressive class put together by Steve Spurrier, staying in the Palmetto State, and heading to a school he feels comfortable with.

Clowney went wire-to-wire in his senior season as the nation’s consensus top recruit, and should make an immediate impact in the SEC. He joins a South Carolina defense that was capable up front in 2010 — the Gamecocks recorded 41 sacks, fifth in the country — and could start from Day One.

His choice of South Carolina over Clemson and Alabama — on his 18th birthday — likely has to do with the Gamecocks’ long courtship of him; Clemson closed fast, and would have added Clowney to maybe the nation’s best haul of linebackers, and Alabama presented an opportunity to join an NFL Draft assembly line, but there was likely too much ground for each school to make up and not enough time to do it.

Clowney’s announcement completes the full schedule for the Class of 2011’s recruiting announcements.

For more on Jadeveon Clowney and what his college choice means, check out our South Carolina blog, Garnet and Black Attack, and our Clemson blog, Shakin the Southland.