By ANTHONY ALI
STAFF WRITER
Jadeveon Clowney is a defensive end for the University of South Carolina, perhaps best known for his tackle on Michigan running back Vincent Smith. Projected as a top-three prospect for the 2014 NFL Draft, Clowney is currently in his junior year, after which he will be able to enter the draft, as all NFL players must be three years removed from high school.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper, Jr. has high expectations for the reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year. “Clowney’s a rare talent, basically to the defensive end spot what Andrew Luck and RG3 were to the quarterback position,” Kiper said. “These type of prospects don’t come along very often.”
With laudits lavishing him with high praise and his play having set school records, Clowney has managed to remain a non-factor for the Gamecocks this year, having been affected with various maladies including bone spurs, a stomach virus and, as of late, soreness around his ribs. While there is plausibility to these claims (Clowney has had bone spurs since his high school days), many are wondering if his reluctance to play is because of injuries or if Clowney is attempting to preserve his draft stock.
When asked about his commitment, Gamecocks’ coach Steve Spurrier remained vague. “You’ll have to ask him about that.” Spurrier said. “I can’t speak for Jadeveon.”
As Clowney is projected to be amongst the top five draft picks, there is no doubt that he will receive a sizeable signing bonus from whichever team selects him. If Clowney were to get severely injured, however, his draft stock would likely fall sharply. Although there would still be a sizeable signing bonus, Clowney would not be able to fully capitalize on his talents and body. For this reason, it is speculated that Clowney has already mentally checked out of college football and is already contemplating more long term goals. Spurrier’s comments only further heightened the doubts surrounding Clowney’s commitment. As coaches are now beginning to design their offensive game plans around Clowney, oftentimes running the ball the other way, he appears to have grown disgruntled. His production has dropped and he simply has not been the same player that he was last season, perhaps because of the injuries. Yet, Clowney appears to lack the commitment and the desire to prove otherwise.
Perhaps the answer to this rests in the case of Marcus Lattimore, Clowney’s friend and teammate at the University of South Carolina. Lattimore had been projected to be a first round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. This projection was quickly derailed in a game against Tennessee in which Lattimore was inflicted with a potential career ending injury. Lattimore fought to recover from the injury and eventually did, but by that point his draft stock had already fallen and he was selected in the fourth round by San Francisco. Clowney was a firsthand witness to this. Naturally, one could not blame him for wishing to preserve his physical well-being so that he might actually be able to profit from his name. Perhaps the only issue is that of communication between player and coach. Either way, Jadeveon Clowney has not been the same player that he was last year.