Top 10 prospects from South Carolina of Rivals era

With the recent commitment of five star DE Zacch Pickens, we thought it would be interesting to see where he stands among the all-time greats in Rivals South Carolina ranking history. Led by the best player I’ve ever seen in high school, here are the highest ranked players from the Palmetto State. Amazingly, seven of the 10 are defensive ends.

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The skinny: Clowney claimed South Carolina as his favorite from the start, so while both Alabama and Clemson were the other finalists, and he took an official visit to Death Valley, it came as no surprise when he committed to the Gamecocks.

At South Carolina, Clowney quickly became a star while earning All-American honors after both the 2012 and 2013 seasons. Houston selected him with the first overall pick in 2014, where after a relatively slow start to his professional career he has impressed with 111 tackles and 15.5 sacks over the last two seasons.

Farrell’s take: The best player I’ve ever seen in high school, period. Clowney was beyond his years in talent when it comes to high school football players. If you haven’t watched his highlight tape, do yourself a favor and check it out.

I remember one game I scouted him and he was playing defensive tackle, out of position clearly, and he still had multiple sacks and about 10 hurries. He anticipated the snap count better than anyone I had ever seen and was the fastest player off the snap ever. His Shrine Game performance where he drew around six holding calls is still the stuff of legend.

The skinny: Bowers committed to Clemson more than a year before his Signing Day and enrolled early with the Tigers. At Clemson, he blossomed in 2010, when he totaled 26 tackles for a loss and 15.5 sacks, which both led the country. However, due to injury concerns, Bowers slipped to the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft.

Injuries continued to haunt Bowers during his five seasons with the Buccaneers, before he was released in 2015. He played the 2017 season with Edmonton in the CFL, before announcing his retirement from football this May, just two months after signing a two-year extension with the Eskimos.

Farrell’s take: Bowers was a freaky talent coming out of high school and a guy who pushed for No. 1 overall. He made a huge jump in our final rankings after absolutely dominating Under Armour week and the game itself. He had a great get-off, used his hands very well and effectively and had a non-stop motor. Injuries hurt his pro career but as a high school and college player, he was a star. He would have been No. 1 in 2008 had Terrelle Pryor not been such a freak of nature.

The skinny: Dunlap took official visits to Florida, South Carolina and Tennessee before committing to the Gators a few days before National Signing Day. At the end it came down to the Gators and Gamecocks. After two consecutive impressive seasons in Gainesville, Dunlap was selected in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft by Cincinnati. About to begin his ninth season with the Bengals, Dunlap continues to be a key part of the team’s defense, with 64.5 sacks over his career.

Farrell’s take: Dunlap, like Bowers, made a huge jump late in the rankings due to all-star game performance and lived up to it in college. He was huge but nimble and very athletic for an end his size. He could have played defensive tackle or end in high school or college and been equally as effective. I originally thought his ranking was a bit too high back then, but he has proven me wrong with a very good college career and a long, productive NFL career.

The skinny: Green committed to Georgia more than a year before his own National Signing Day, despite possessing offers from most of the top programs in the country. His three seasons in Athens were memorable, with 166 receptions, 2,619 yards and 23 touchdowns during that time.

Selected with the fourth overall pick in the 2011 Draft by Cincinnati, Green has made the Pro Bowl after each of his seven seasons with the Bengals while establishing himself as one of the elite receivers in the game.

Farrell’s take: It’s hard to believe Green was No. 9 overall isn’t it? Maybe he was a bit too low for us as we tried to figure out which receiver was better that year, Julio Jones or Green. Both finished in the top 10 in the final rankings. Green was a stat stuffer who had such great body control and could high point the ball like few others. His career at Georgia and in the NFL speaks for itself.

The skinny: Despite also taking official visits to Auburn, Penn State and Oregon, Lattimore was always seen to be a heavy lean towards South Carolina. So when he committed to the Gamecocks on the eve of National Signing Day, few were surprised.

Lattimore burst onto the scene as a true freshman in 2010 with 1,197 yards and 17 touchdowns for the Gamecocks. He continued to impress in 2011 until a knee injury ended his season in October. He returned in 2012, but again tore knee ligaments, thus ending his collegiate career. Despite his knee injuries, he was still drafted in the fourth round by San Francisco in 2013; however, he was never able to get back on the field and retired in late 2014.

Farrell’s take: Lattimore will be remembered for two things – his amazing talent and his awful knee injury. The latter pretty much ended his career. The former was impressive. He was a very good runner between the tackles with excellent vision, he could bounce it outside and he had good size and the ability to bounce off tackles. He could also catch the ball out of the backfield. He was one of the most well-rounded running backs I’ve scouted so seeing his career end the way it did was sad. He was also one of the nicest recruits I’ve ever dealt with, pure class.

The skinny: Pickens committed to South Carolina over Clemson and Georgia during Memorial Day weekend. He committed to the Gamecocks despite living in close proximity to the Clemson campus, which surprised some people. However, because he was rather quiet and secretive during the last few months of his process, there was a constant mystery regarding his decision.

Farrell’s take: The jury is still out on how good Pickens can be, but through his junior season, he’s special. He’s not only a very good pass rusher, but he’s excellent in stopping the run and disrupting plays in the backfield.

He’s a very important commitment for South Carolina and should help recruiting a great deal in the 2019 class. He’s a bit far behind Clowney and Bowers at defensive end (and Xavier Thomas, who is categorized as Florida because he played for IMG) when it comes to pure talent, but this kid is still a special player.

The skinny: Sapp committed to Clemson in June, and despite rumors that he may flip to Florida State, he remained true to his word and signed with the Tigers. Sapp had a productive four seasons in Death Valley, saving his best for last as he totaled 55 tackles and 14 tackles for a loss in 2009.

After being selected by Philadelphia in the fifth round during the 2010 draft, Sapp bounced around between the Eagles, New York Jets, Houston and Washington during the next five years. He has remained a free agent since being waived by the Redskins in 2015.

Farrell’s take: I was one of the leaders of the “Sapp is a five-star” charges back in the day despite some questioning his size. He never really played up to that fifth star, but he did show flashes. Out of high school, he was a terror off the edge and super athletic. He was the hybrid freak before his time in many ways. Oh, and for those Clemson fans reading this – Sapp to FSU.

The skinny: Kendrick avoided some drama during his recruiting process by committing to Clemson during the Tigers junior day event in January. While South Carolina and Florida State pressed their efforts over the next year, he remained faithful to the Tigers. After enrolling early for the spring semester, Kendrick has already drawn rave reviews from the Clemson coaching staff. While the Tigers have depth at the position, look for the exciting freshman to get his fair share of opportunities this fall.

Farrell’s take: Kendrick is recent and so talented he reminded me a bit of Percy Harvin out of high school because he was so quick around the corner. Playing out of position at quarterback, he was still ranked as one of the best wide receivers in the country because of his upside and he should be a star in college.

The skinny: Matthews took an official visit to Georgia in early October before committing to his home-state Gamecocks less than a week later. At South Carolina, Matthews had a productive career, finishing with 149 tackles and 26 sacks, before being selected by Atlanta in the seventh round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He spent six seasons with the Falcons, and a short stint with Tampa Bay, before signing with Ottawa in the CFL earlier this year.

Farrell’s take: South Carolina fans felt Matthews was a five-star. I was on the bandwagon thinking that was too high because I was worried about his frame and ability to add weight. He never played at a five-star level in college but he had a productive career for sure. He never really got on track in the NFL and is now in the CFL, but based on his high ranking you could tell we liked him a lot. He just wasn’t five-star good, Gamecock fans.

The skinny: Goodman committed to Clemson less than a month after the 2008 National Signing Day. Despite receiving steady pressure from Georgia, Alabama, Florida and LSU, Goodman stuck with the Tigers and enrolled in the spring of 2009.

Goodman had a steady yet unspectacular career with Clemson before being selected in the fourth round by Atlanta in the 2013 Draft. He played three seasons with the Falcons, and then spent 2016 with both Seattle and Atlanta, before getting a chance with Jacksonville in 2017. He is currently a free agent.

Farrell’s take: The hands. I remember the hands. Goodman has the biggest set of mitts this side of DJ Fluker coming out of high school and used them very well as a pass rusher. He was put together, could play the run as well as rush the passer and was physical. But I’ll never forget those huge hands. This kid was made to play defensive line.