Clemson and South Carolina are now the final two schools vying for South Pointe defensive end
Jadeveon Clowney, according to PalmettoSports.com.
South Pointe's Jadeveon Clowney.
File photo by Ron McCann
The nation's top recruit for this year's class didn't sign on National Signing Day with others at his school, as he opted to wait until his birthday, Feb. 14, to make his decision known.
Clowney's announcement will be made at 10:15 a.m. (ET) and it will be televised by ESPNU, according to the site. Last week, it was reported that Alabama had last some luster with Clowney and a two-school race for the standout began.
Speculation for weeks has been that Clowney will choose the Gamecocks, but a recent visit to Clemson put the Tigers back in the mix.
J.L. MANN NAMES NEW COACHFor the past eight seasons Brian Strickland has guided the offense at North Augusta High School.
Now he'll get to run an entire team. Strickland was named the new football coach at
Mann (Greenville, S.C.) on Monday. He replaces Mickey Crocker, who stepped down after 13 seasons.
"I've interviewed for other jobs in the past, and I've always felt like they weren't the right fit, and at the end of the day I was kind of glad I didn't get them," Strickland told the Greenville News. "This was one of the ones where there was never any reservation."
Strickland has been an assistant coach for 18 years, including stops at his alma mater, Walterboro, and Ridge Spring-Monetta.
BYRNES ADDS ANOTHER FLORIDA OPPONENTThe reigning 4A Div. I state champions will open the season with a Florida opponent.
This year
Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.) will face
First Coast (Jacksonville, Fla.), the Spartanburg Herald-Journal reports.
The game will be played on Aug. 26 or 27 at Byrnes' Nixon Field, where the Rebels have a 70-game winning streak.
"We always play somebody good to open up," Byrnes coach Chris Miller told the paper. "That's what it's all about is to play great competition and see where you are and what you need to work on."
Since 2002, the Rebels have gone 10-3 against out-of-state competition and are 4-1 against Florida schools.
Byrnes still has a Week 3 opening.
SHRINE BOWL COACHES NAMEDThe Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas has named its coaching staffs for its 75th annual game.
The game will be played at 1 p.m. on Dec. 17 at Gibbs Stadium on the Wofford College campus in Spartanburg, S.C.
Conway head coach Chuck Jordan has been named the head coach of the Sandlappers. His assistants will be Bluffton's Ken Cribb, Lexington's David Bundrick, Great Falls' Ken Schofield, Dorman's Michael Lancaster, Cheraw's Johnny White and Calhoun County's Walter Wilson.
The game pits the top 44 seniors in South Carolina against the top 44 seniors from North Carolina.
Jason Gilmer is an award-winning writer who has covered football in South Carolina for more than a decade. He does a statewide high school football blog on GoUpstate.com. You can reach him at palmettofootballtalkblog@gmail.com.
