A general view of a South Carolina Gamecocks helmet against the Missouri Tigers during the second half of the game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium on Sep 20, 2025 in Columbia, Missouri.

Prior to his 12-year NFL career, Jadeveon Clowney was a defensive force in his three seasons at South Carolina.

Now, the Gamecocks have another Clowney as part of their defense.

This past offseason, Shane Beamer and his staff added to their much-needed depth by landing a player linked to South Carolina royalty in Charlotte defensive end Demon Clowney.

In South Carolina's Week 9 home game against No. 4 Alabama at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina, Demon Clowney rushed the edge and got through the Alabama offensive line to land a hit on Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson to force an incomplete pass and a 3rd-and-8 in the second quarter.

The Gamecocks find themselves in a 14-6 halftime deficit against the Crimson Tide in a must-win game for their postseason hopes.

Here's what to know about on the connection between Demon and Jadeveon Clowney:

Is South Carolina's Demon Clowney related to Jadeveon Clowney?

Yes. As noted by Joe Tessitore on the ABC broadcast, South Carolina edge rusher Demon Clowney is the cousin of legendary Gamecocks defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. The connection between the two is also mentioned on Demon Clowney's profile page on South Carolina's website.

Demon Clowney, who is 25 years old, is in his first year at South Carolina after transferring to the Gamecocks during the NCAA Transfer Portal spring window this past offseason. He transferred to the SEC and the Gamecocks from Charlotte, where he played for his former high school coach, Biff Poggi, for two seasons. It was the second transfer of his collegiate career as he transferred to the 49ers after originally starting his career in the SEC at Ole Miss.

Jadeveon Clowney, of course, was a standout defensive end at South Carolina from 2011 through 2013. In his three seasons in Columbia, Clowney recorded 129 total tackles (47 tackles for a loss), 24 sacks, nine forced fumbles, seven broken-up passes and a fumble recovery. Clowney, the former No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft to the Houston Texans, is currently in his 12th season in the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is Demon Clowney related to Jadeveon Clowney? What to know on South Carolina EDGE rusher

Reporting by John Leuzzi, USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY

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