Alabama, South Carolina Battle for Top Football Recruit Jadeveon Clowney

When Alabama travels to Columbia to play South Carolina on October 9th, the game will have more than just SEC bragging rights on the line. It will also be important from the standpoint that the best recruit in the country, South Pointe’s end Jadeveon Clowney, will be roaming the sidelines, anxiously keeping his eye on the action.

Clowney, a 6'6" 240 pound defensive end, has a mailbag full of offers from nearly every top school in the country, but the big time recruit has already stated that his choice will most likely come down to either Alabama or South Carolina.

That’s not to say that those are the only two schools Jadeveon is considering. It’s just that at this point in time, they seem to be the two front-runners to land the superstar prospect out of South Carolina.

It’s a battle of home state pride versus national prominence.

Nick Saban and his Alabama program are starting to consistently turn elite high school recruits into coveted NFL draft prospects. That is certainly appealing to Clowney, who has stated that one of his main goals is to get to “the league” someday.

While Steve Spurrier has sent his fair share of players to the NFL over the course of his career, he can’t make the claim that his program is on a “pro feeder” level that the Crimson Tide are on right now.

It’s simple to say that Alabama is the most appealing choice just because they are the ones best equipped to mold pro athletes right now, but this decision will likely come down to something much deeper.

When any major recruit goes about choosing a school to sign with, the most important factor is how they fit into the structure of the team. Most recruits have a picture in their mind of what position they want to play, and they figure they should be able to compete for that spot early on in their careers.

If Jadeveon wants to play early in his freshman season, his best bet would be to sign with Spurrier and the Gamecocks. They have quality defensive players, but there is nowhere near the depth that Alabama has right now. If Clowney were to sign with the Tide, he would have a lot of other big name players competing with him for time on the field.

It could also come down to defensive scheme fit. The two schools run completely different styles of defenses. Alabama has a 3-4 foundation, while South Carolina employs a 4-3.

It remains to be seen how exactly Jadeveon would fit into a 3-4 defense considering he weighs under 250 pounds at this point. He would enter Alabama as a tweener that could bulk up and play at defensive end or make the transition to outside linebacker. Either way, it would be a bigger and more time consuming transition than if he were to sign with South Carolina.

If he goes to Columbia, he could probably stay at end in the 4-3 and have a better shot of playing early as a pass rushing specialist as he matures into a complete player.

It remains to be seen just where Jadeveon’s journey will ultimately take him, but it looks like it will be an interesting ride to watch unfold. Steve Spurrier is in play for the best recruit in the nation, and that sets up to be quite entertaining.

If I were making the decision for Mr. Clowney, I would tell him to stay in state and sign with the Gamecocks. Spurrier could finally have that program ready to take off this season, and I think if Jadeveon wants to play early, South Carolina gives him the best chance.

On the other hand, it’s hard to look at a program like Alabama and say no to everything that they can offer their players.

It’s certainly a tough decision, and it’s one we probably won’t know the answer to for a few months.