It turns out that Jadeveon Clowney isn't invincible after all.
South Carolina's All-American -- and one of the best players in college football -- might deliver tremendous pain on the field, but he's dealing with his own pain and could miss the rest of spring because of neck and back pain, defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward said Tuesday.
“His neck and back is still stiff. Whether he goes another snap [this spring], I don’t care,” Ward said.
It doesn't sound like Clowney's injury is anything too serious, so there's no point in pushing him for the remainder of the spring. Honestly, healthy or not, there's really no reason to put him on the field for the spring game, anyway. It's not worth the potential injury, he doesn't need the extra work and you don't want to risk having your left tackle blown up in front of your home crowd.
Seriously, resting Clowney now is probably a good thing for the Gamecocks. He's on a mission this fall and he'll be worth the wait.
Leader at Spur
With Devonte Holloman graduating after last season, redshirt junior Sharrod Golightly and redshirt freshman Jordan Diggs have spent all spring battling for the starting "Spur" position (hybrid linebacker/safety).
Ward said on Tuesday that Golightly, who has primarily played on special teams and has registered 10 career tackles, is the leader heading into the final three spring practices.
“I think Sharrod is slightly ahead of Jordan Diggs, but it’s real close," Ward said. "They both have done a lot of good things, but I think Sharrod has probably made more plays this spring. If we had to start tomorrow, Sharrod would be the starter.”
The Gamecocks will conclude spring practice with their annual Garnet & Black Spring Game this Saturday.
