South Carolina Football: All-time USC great signs big contract with local NFL team

Arguably the most famous South Carolina football player of the past 20 years is Jadeveon Clowney. The talented pass rusher was the top high school recruit in the country, a two-time All-American in Columbia, and the #1-overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft before he ever stepped on the field in the National Football League.

Clowney has had a very good pro career that falls short of some's expectations because of battles with injuries. Even so, he is a former All-Pro and a three-time Pro Bowl selection who has four separate seasons with at least 9 sacks in his career, including two of the past 3 years.

After spending the first five years of this career with the Houston Texans, Clowney spent a year with the Seattle Seahawks, one with the Tennessee Titans, two with the Cleveland Browns, and one with the Baltimore Ravens. Now, after entering this offseason as a free agent, Clowney has found a new home.

Per a report from ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, Jadeveon Clowney and the Carolina Panthers are in agreement on a two-year contract worth somewhere between $20 Million and $24 Million depending on which incentives he hits during his time in Charlotte.

The Panthers confirmed the signing with a tweet about Clowney's famous play from his Gamecock days known as "The Hit."

Clowney, who is originally from the Charlotte suburb of Rock Hill, North Carolina, will return to the Carolinas as he joins a Panthers team that is no stranger to bringing in Gamecocks. Former South Carolina football stars Jaycee Horn and DJ Wonnum are already Panthers, and Stephon Gilmore (who spent the 2021 season in Carolina) is rumored to be considering heading to Charlotte, as well.

Clowney has spent his entire career splitting time between defensive end and outside linebacker, and that could continue in Carolina. He and DJ Wonnum will be two of the highest-upside players in the EDGE room for the Panthers.