In the modern era of recruitment, which dates back to 2000, five high school football players received a perfect score of 1,000. Ten years ago, South Carolina was home to one of those candidates, a defensive side of Rock Hill called Jadeveon Clowney.
“I think (Clowney) was as close to perfect as you could imagine,” said Rivals analyst Chad Simmons, a 17-year veteran in the recruiting industry. “No one is ever perfect, but when you talk about attributes, size, athleticism, NFL projection, even personality traits – he was very reserved for a guy of that stature who had all the schools in the country behind him.”
For many, Clowney is still considered the best of the best among a group that also includes quarterback Vince Young (Texas, 2002), linebacker Ernie Sims (Florida State, 2003), defensive edge Robert Nkemdiche (Ole Miss, 2013) and the defensive tackle Rashan Gary (Michigan, 2016).
“I’ve been…