It appears the Clausen era at Tennessee is drawing to a close.

Jimmy Clausen has all but ruled out the Vols according to his father, Jim Clausen. Jim Clausen said his 6-foot-3, 190-pound son is considering several schools, but not UT.

"We're down to three to five schools with South Carolina being right there," the elder Clausen told The State newspaper in Columbia, S.C. "He's excited. He's got all the offers he needs now. It's all the right schools."

Jimmy Clausen is one of the top junior prospects in the nation. He could be the top quarterback prospect of the 2007 class.

For now, the star from Westlake Village, Ca. is strongly considering Notre Dame, Southern Cal, Michigan and South Carolina, according to his father. The family also is considering Michigan State, LSU, Alabama and Oklahoma.

UT's absence is conspicuous considering the strong ties to Knoxville via his older brothers. Rick Clausen is a backup quarterback at UT. Casey Clausen's 9,707 yards from 2000 to 2003 rank second all time at UT.

The two brothers combined for 48 starts at UT and registered 37 wins for the Vols as starters. Casey Clausen was 34-10 as a starter.

It's impossible to ignore the timing of Clausen's interview with The State, which covers South Carolina athletics.

Rick Clausen (and his family) couldn't have been happy when he was told last week that he would no longer be a part of the quarterback rotation despite often outperforming sophomore Erik Ainge.

Jim Clausen has declined numerous interview requests from the News Sentinel and other media outlets.

This latest Clausen development is just another example of how recruiting package deals are totally unpredictable.

UT coaches couldn't have foreseen how the Clausen saga would unfold when they offered Rick Clausen a scholarship in 2003 after being cast off by LSU.

Clausen was freely released by then LSU head coach Nick Saban, a clear indication that Saban did not think the middle son could play in the SEC.

Saban was wrong. Clausen played well last season, leading the Vol to three victories in four starts. In the Cotton Bowl, he garnered the offensive MVP award.

UT seemed to be in good shape with the youngest Clausen when he visited a UT practice in August. Now, the Vols, at the very least, have miles of ground to make up.

The ordeal is reminiscent of another pair of quarterback brothers, one a castoff turned malcontent, the other a highly touted prospect.

UT all but had a commitment from Charlotte, N.C. quarterback Chris Leak as his brother, C.J. Leak, toiled away in Knoxville. Then, that package likewise unraveled.

Leak struggled in his first starting assignment at UT after Casey Clausen was injured. UT coaches went with a more mobile James Banks at quarterback and Chris Leak was subsequently headed to Florida after publicly criticizing UT head coach Phillip Fulmer.

The Clausens haven't gone that far but they aren't afraid to let other schools, including UT, know what they could be missing.

"Running back Mark Tyler is interested in going to school with Jimmy," Jim Clausen told The State. "He's the son of (former NFL running back) Wendell Tyler and he's a stud. He scores every time he touches the ball.

"Casey Matthews (son of former NFL linebacker Clay Matthews) is a linebacker and he wants to go to school with Jimmy, too, and is interested in South Carolina.

"When we come, we're bringing about five juniors. Jimmy is going to bring the troops. He's going to bring people from the West Coast."

Forgive UT if they don't tremble in their cleats. Top-flight prospects, especially quarterbacks, often promise to bring other prospects to campus with them.

In reality, teammates most often choose a school for their own reasons. One or two prospects might follow a high school teammate but it's rarely as many as initially advertised.

Jim Clausen said his two older sons will have a strong influence on his youngest son's college decision, "Jimmy is waiting on his two older brothers to give him the nod and say that's the place."

Considering how Casey is often underappreciated by UT fans and Rick has just been shown the bench, their input could spell the end of the Clausen era at UT.