Anyone questioning Jadeveon Clowney‘s viability as a first-round pick needs to watch his game against Tennessee on Saturday.
The 6-foot-6, 275-pound freak of nature has been the talk of college football in recent weeks after he decided to sit out the Gamecocks’ meeting with SEC rival Kentucky two weeks ago. A storm of criticism and speculation has incessantly rained over the potential No. 1 draft pick since then. He put all those rumors to bed on Saturday, putting on an out-of-this-world performance.
Clowney was not just the best player on the field during South Carolina’s visit to Knoxville, but he proved that he was the best player in the country. It seemed that on almost every Tennessee snap, Clowney was in the backfield, disrupting the quarterback or snuffing out a running play before it even got started.
One play in particular opened up the eyes of college football fans everywhere like no other. During the second quarter, Clowney read the snap count perfectly and blazed through the Tennessee offensive line and into the backfield before Volunteers running back Rajion Lane could even tuck the ball away. Clowney met Lane deep in the backfield with a crushing blow and just about picked the back up and speared him into the grass below.
The play was eerily reminiscent to the unbelievable lick Clowney laid on Michigan running back Vincent Smith. during last year’s Outback Bowl.
Check out Clowney’s hit from Saturday in the GIF below.
Helmet slap to @BomaniJones on the GIF.
