GC LIVE: Early Georgia State talk, Clowney's jersey to be retired, recruiting

With game week right around the corner, Gamecock Central’s Wes Mitchell and Chris Clark finally take an early look at Georgia State. Plus news breaks that Jadeveon Clowney’s jersey will be retired. And the latest on a big upcoming announcement from four-star EDGE Desmond Umeozulu.

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South Carolina to retire Jadeveon Clowney’s jersey

By Collyn Taylor

It’s been a while since South Carolina football retired a jersey, but that streak will end this year.

The Gamecocks will retire Jadeveon Clowney’s No. 7 jersey in their season opener against Georgia State next weekend. The jersey will be retired at halftime of the game.

“We are excited to honor one of our greatest Gamecock football players ever, Jadeveon Clowney, by retiring his jersey at our first game of the season,” South Carolina athletic director Ray Tanner said. “He helped lead us to three 11-win seasons as one of the best players in college football.”

https://youtube.com/watch?v=gLPZwKA9Iho%3Ffeature%3Doembed

Clowney was a two-time All-American in his three seasons at South Carolina, including earning SEC Defensive Player of the Year awards in 2012.

Clowney ultimately turned into the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft and spent the first years of his career in Houston. He’s later played for the Cleveland Browns, Seattle Seahawks and Tennessee Titans.

He was a graduate of South Pointe High School and was the No. 1 player in his class coming out of high school.

The former pass rusher still holds single-season records for tackles for loss (23.5), career sacks (13) in 2012.

He’s second all-time at South Carolina in tackles for loss, behind only Eric Norwood, and behind both Norwood and Andrew Provence for career sacks.

“His sophomore season in 2012 was his greatest year as a Gamecock. He tallied 54 total tackles, a school single-season record 23.5 for losses, including 13 sacks (school-record) and three forced fumbles,” the South Carolina release reads.” Clowney became South Carolina’s second unanimous All-American in school history and first since George Rogers in 1980. He was the recipient of the Ted Hendricks Award as the nation’s top defensive end. Additionally, he was a finalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award, the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, the Lombardi Award, and finished sixth overall in the 2012 Heisman Trophy voting.

The play of his career came at the end of his sophomore season where he forced a fumble in the 2013 Outback Bowl, launching his stardom to the national stage.

He helped elevate the Gamecocks to a national stage. South Carolina never lost more than two games in a season during Clowney’s career and finished with its highest ranking ever after the 2013 season. Clowney also never lost to Clemson.

Clowney becomes the fifth Gamecock to have his football jersey retired. Sterling Sharpe’s No. 2 was the last one. Steve Wadiak (37), George Rogers (38) and Mike Johnson (56) were the others.

Since 2018, the Gamecocks have retired eight jerseys across all sports: Earl Bass in baseball, softball’s Trinity Johnson and Joyce Compton, Miki Barber and Dawn Ellerbe in women’s track and field, Terreance Trammell in men’s track and field and Clint Mathis in men’s soccer.

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