The Jadeveon Clowney storyline of whether he should sit out 2013 to protect his health for next year's draft has mushroomed from a columnist's suggestion to a full-on NFL dissection this week within a few days. Steve Spurrier was asked about it and said he expects Clowney -- who needs one more season to satisfy the NCAA's three-year NFL declaration rule -- to be in Gamecock colors next season. Clowney's mother expects him back.

But Clowney hasn't spoken publicly about it (at least that I've seen -- if you see something official, point it our way), so I requested an interview via email through the South Carolina athletics department. Spokesman Steve Fink replied that though Clowney isn't available for interview, Fink spoke to Clowney on Thursday and the 6-foot-7 defensive end told him "right now he is planning on playing."

When asked about Clowney's usage of the phrase "right now" as to suggest there's wiggle room for a change of heart, Fink said he simply asked Clowney a question posed by another writer.

Before reading the tea leaves on this, let's wait for Clowney himself to directly quell or embrace the mounting coverage on an issue that's much broader in scope than one player. The growing sentiment (Spurrier, mother, spokesman) is that Clowney expects to be back, if he ever considered leaving at all.

...more

A record 73 juniors declared for the NFL Draft, and not everyone will get drafted. Not every case is as clear-cut as future No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney, but those who leave early have their reasons. ...more

South Carolina's family reunion tops the list of 2012's best college football moments, which includes Notre Dame's fourth-and-1 stop, AJ McCarron's tears, Georgia's heartbreak and more. ...more

Steve Spurrier had South Carolina dominating like his 90s Florida teams in a 35-7 rout of Georgia, taking a firm hold on the national title picture in the process. Georgia got exposed, but South Carolina got exposed, too -- as better than expected. ...more

South Carolina conducted a walk-through Friday afternoon to prepare for a huge matchup with Georgia on Saturday night. South Carolina's stout run defense must find a way to thwart Georgia's potent rushing attack. ...more

Southeastern Conference officials are meeting this week and next in part to discuss scheduling for 2013 and beyond. Florida president Bernie Machen says finalizing future schedules is crucial as the league makes a transition from 12 to 14 teams that hasn*t always been easy. Machen also says Orange Bowl deal with Big Ten/SEC is "close" to being finalized. ...more