Jadeveon Clowney's big announcement is only the latest for top recruits

Jadeveon Clowney's announcement today is the latest in a string of high-profile commitment events in recent years.

The 6-foot-6, 240-pound defensive end chose South Carolina over Clemson and Alabama in an announcement held at his school and televised nationally on ESPN.

Clowney decided to make his college choice public this morning, on his 18th birthday, nearly two weeks after National Signing Day. His highly anticipated ceremony follows other significant commitments as recruiting coverage continues to rise in popularity across the nation.

TERRELLE PRYOR COMMITS TO OHIO STATE, FINALLY
Before he was leading Ohio State to victories in the Rose Bowl (2010) and Sugar Bowl (2011), Terrelle Pryor was a high school phenom at Jeannette (Penn.), combining for 86 total touchdowns in his junior and senior seasons.

Pryor whittled a huge offer list down to Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, and Oregon. On National Signing Day, Pryor held a press conference at his school to announce that he was simply not ready to decide.

After leading Jeannette to a AA basketball state title, Pryor told reporters that he was ready to make a decision on his future. Four days later, on March 19, Pryor signed with the Buckeyes, ending months of intense speculation.

SEANTREL HENDERSON PICKS USC, LANDS IN MIAMI
The nation's No. 1 recruit in the class of 2010, Seantrel Henderson had physical gifts not often found in a 6-8, 330-pound recruit. Endowed with tremendous athleticism, Henderson quickly established himself as one of the top offensive linemen of the decade.

His recruitment was rather mysterious, as few people had true insight into where he might be leaning. Schools from every corner of the country targeted Henderson, who decided to make his announcement on The CBS College Sports Network on National Signing Day.

Spurning the tradition of selecting a hat, Henderson decided to choose a jersey of his future college, grabbing the Cardinal and Gold of USC. However, he didn't sign with the Trojans until nearly two months later.

Henderson had second thoughts, following the news of the NCAA sanctions against the program, and in July was granted a release from his National Letter of Intent. Days later, he inked with Miami, ending one of the most bizarre recruiting stories ever.

MANTI TE'O SENDS SHOCKWAVES ACROSS THE PACIFIC
It's rare that Hawaii produces a true blue-chip recruit, and it's also rare that USC misses out on its top targets. Both of those occurred when Manti Te'o signed with Notre Dame in 2009.

Te'o, who stood 6-2, 235 pounds as a senior, was a Hawaiian legend, earning second team all-state honors as a sophomore despite breaking his leg in the fourth game of the season. He narrowed his college choices down to USC, UCLA, and Notre Dame after eliminating BYU.

On National Signing Day, rather than having his own individual announcement, Te'o followed state customs by taking part in the PIAA group ceremony. He stunned people in Hawaii, Los Angeles, and South Bend when he donned the Fighting Irish hat and signed his National Letter of Intent to play for Notre Dame and then-head coach Charlie Weis.

SOONERS SCOOP UP JAMARKUS MCFARLAND
Perhaps no player received greater media attention during his recruitment than Jamarkus McFarland.

The 6-3, 280-pound defensive tackle from Lufkin (Texas) was the subject of an ongoing New York Times feature that profiled his life as one of the nation's top recruits. It highlighted the battle on the recruiting trail between Oklahoma and Texas and explored the unpublicized aspects of the experience that top recruits have.

The series also referenced an academic paper McFarland submitted for a class, which detailed a hotel party he attended that was reportedly hosted by fans of Texas. It set off a firestorm of controversy among Longhorns supporters who called into question some of the salacious details of the paper, and the Times' willingness to report on it.

McFarland's recruitment came to an end at 12:01 a.m. on Christmas morning, when he called Oklahoma assistant Jackie Shipp to provide him an early holiday gift. McFarland pledged to the Sooners and eventually signed with Oklahoma on National Signing Day.

COLLEGE HALL OF FAME HOSTS JIMMY CLAUSEN
When Jimmy Clausen was ready to make his college decision in the summer before his senior season, he flew from Southern California to South Bend, Ind. to hold a press conference at the College Football Hall of Fame.

In front of a room full of Fighting Irish supporters, Clausen announced that he would attend Notre Dame, drawing applause from those in attendance. He chose the Fighting Irish over rival USC.

The ceremony was not televised, but it has received nearly 50,000 views on YouTube.

Clausen, the leader of a potent Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.) offense and the younger brother of Casey and Rick Clausen, was one of the most ballyhooed California quarterbacks in recent memory. He threw for 3,428 yards and 49 touchdowns as a senior.