Jadeveon Clowney or
Robert Nkemdiche: Is the Georgia phenom a better recruit than the current South Carolina Gamecock was at the same point in their careers?
Clowney, the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2010, was a 6-foot-6, 240-pound defensive end with cat-like relaxes, tremendous length and wide receiver-speed.
He was the
only consensus No. 1 recruit in the last 10 years, and was one of the most impressive recruits of all time.
Amazingly, it took only two years for high school football to experience another recruit of his caliber,
Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) phenom Robert Nkemdiche, who will almost certainly be ranked No. 1 when the class of 2013 Top 100 is released.
The 6-foot-5, 270-pound Nkemdiche burst onto the scene as a sophomore,
earning All-American honors as a tenth grader,
just like Clowney. He's proven to be equally dominant on defense and, also similar to Clowney, was effective at running back for Grayson.
While Nkemdiche is a shade shorter than Clowney at the same age, he's much more advanced physically, comfortably carrying 270 pounds on a frame that can easily add more weight at the next level.
He led Grayson to a state title as a junior, much like Clowney guided his team to the state finals as a junior.
So who is the better recruit?
Well, it probably depends on which college coach you ask, and what defensive scheme he runs.
Clowney was (and is) a prototypical pass rusher in a 4-3 defense. He played on the outside in
South Pointe's (Rock Hill, S.C.) 4-3 look in high school. He chose to attend South Carolina partially because of the Gamecocks' embrace of the same defensive line alignment and showed flashes of brilliance as a true freshman.
Meanwhile Nkemdiche, whose frame is slightly more developed, could play as a down lineman in a 3-4 scheme. In Grayson's three-man front, Nkemdiche is still utterly disruptive in the passing game (36 sacks the last two seasons) while maintaining a two-gap assignment against the run.
Jadeveon Clowney Highlights
Robert Nkemdiche Highlights
Who would you take: Clowney or Nkemdiche?
Leave a comment below.
