Jadeveon Clowney to South Carolina: Gamecocks Snag Nation's Top Overall Recruit

Jadeveon Clowney, the nation's No. 1 overall recruit and a player described as the best high school prospect in a decade, finally made his college decision nearly two weeks after National Signing Day.

The South Carolina native kept us waiting long enough, but at the end of the day he went with the obvious choice.

Clowney is staying put at home and joining the Gamecocks.

"I'm headed to the University of South Carolina," Clowney said in his live announcement. 

He chose South Carolina over Clemson and Alabama—though the Crimson Tide fell out of favor on Signing Day and were essentially pushed out of the mix then and there.

Clemson gave itself every shot to steal this one, putting together one of the top recruiting classes in the country on Signing Day with pickups like 5-star linebackers Tony Steward and Stephone Anthony.

But when it was time to make his decision, the allure of playing at home in the SEC was too much to pass up. 

While he's bound for stardom regardless of where he plays, there's no denying that South Carolina needed him the most.

At 6'5", 225 lbs., Clowney is an athletic freak and a playmaker in every sense of the word. He gets into the backfield in a hurry, has great natural pass-rushing instincts and can chase down ball carriers with his tremendous speed.

No matter where the ball goes or where Clowney lines up, he can make something happen.

When scouts call him the next Julius Peppers, it's more than hype talking. Clowney is the real deal. 

He'll provide the support along the defensive line that South Carolina desperately needs, but more importantly he'll continue to help the school rise up the SEC standings. 

After an impressive campaign in 2010, South Carolina looks poised to build off its SEC East-winning season in a year the conference looks more wide-open than ever. 

Alabama, Auburn and Arkansas are down their top signal callers, Florida and LSU are still trying to find theirs, Georgia, Ole Miss and Mississippi State all have their issues and the rest are far behind. 

Could this be the year Steve Spurrier's crew rises to the challenge?

Maybe—and there aren't many better places to start than bringing in a talent like Jadeveon Clowney.