Jul 22, 2013 10:36 AM EDT By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

Perhaps second only to Johnny Manziel, Jadeveon Clowney attracted the largest media attention at SEC media days when he said his conference's quarterbacks are afraid of him.

At his press conference last Tuesday, Clowney called out Clemson's quarterback Tajh Boyd, of the ACC, specifically.

"I can tell Tajh Boyd is scared back there," Clowney said last Tuesday. "He ain't no sitting duck, but you can see in his eyes that he's scared of our D-linemen."

Boyd, at Sunday's ACC season kickoff press conference, said he was not afraid of anyone.

"No, I'm not afraid of anybody, honestly," Boyd said. "It's never been in my nature, never been in my character. I'm a competitor. I'm going to compete against whoever wants to compete. And it'll all take care of itself in due time."

Clowney plays defensive end for the University of South Carolina Gamecocks and is a pre-season favorite for the Heisman Trophy, an award rarely given to defenders. He is also a very early favorite to picked first overall in the 2014 NFL Draft. Clowney is six-foot-six-inches, weighs 247 pounds and claims he can run the 40-yard dash in 4.46 seconds. That time, if accurate is .06 seconds slower than Minnesota Vikings' running back Adrian Peterson, the reigning NFL MVP.

South Carolina and Clemson are a storied rivalry, as just 132 miles separate their schools. The Gamecocks will host their rivalry game on Saturday, Nov. 30, the last game of the season for either team. The game could have Heisman and bowl implications for both teams and both players.

Boyd, the ACC's Heisman hopeful, chose not to fuel Clowney's comments months before the teams actually play.

"Honestly, I mean, there's a lot of talking that goes on in college football -- on the field and off the field," he said. "This is one of the more highly publicized things and, honestly, that's just not in my focus. It's not on my radar right now. I think it'll take care of itself when we play them in November and we go down there. Right now I'm just thinking about getting ready for the summer and getting ready for the opener."

WATCH the hit that has many quarterbacks and tailbacks afraid of Jadeveon Clowney.

See Now: Covert Team Inside Newsweek Revealed as Key Players in False Human Trafficking Lawsuit