THOMASVILLE — Thomas County Central doesn’t kick off its 2013 season for 92 days. But Adam Choice, the Yellow Jackets’ star quarterback, still made his first big decision regarding the upcoming campaign Wednesday when he verbally committed to Clemson. Choice won’t be able to sign with the Tigers until Feb. 5, 2014, on national signing day. However, he said his verbal pledge, while nonbinding, is solid. “I’m only going to visit Clemson,” he said. “In fact, my family and I are supposed to go up there next week.”

In choosing Clemson — where he will also play baseball — Choice ended the recruiting process that included offers from most of the Southeastern Conference and heavyweights across the country, including Stanford and Wisconsin in addition to Florida State, Florida and Georgia. The 5-foot-9, 206-pounder said the other leaders were Auburn, Georgia Tech and Texas.

However, when he visited Clemson in April for the Tigers’ spring game he felt at home. That feeling is ultimately what made Clemson the choice. “I just had a feeling like I belonged there,” he said. “It was a feeling like I was home. It was something I wanted to be part of.”

Choice, who plays quarterback in Central’s split-back veer option attack, will switch to running back at Clemson. The four-star recruit was offered by most as a running back, although Stanford was recruiting him as a defensive back. When their latest rankings were released Monday for the Class of 2014, Rivals.com had Choice as the 76th player in the country. That puts him as the eighth-best prospect in Georgia, which includes Brooks County quarterback Malkom Parrish (No. 73) and Gainesville quarterback Deshaun Watson, who is also committed to Clemson.

“They definitely want me as a running back,” said Choice, who called Clemson coach Dabo Swinney on Wednesday afternoon with the news before calling the other schools to inform them of his decision.

“They said they want to use me in a number of different ways to get me the ball.”

And when Choice has the ball, good things usually happen as he will enter his senior season with a chance of breaking the school record in rushing yardage of 5,010 yards set by Joe Burns. Burns, who later starred at Georgia Tech, is a cousin of Choice. As is another former Tech star Tashard Choice.

Last year, he led the Yellow Jackets to a 9-3 record and a trip to the second round of the playoffs as he rushed for 1,658 yards and 23 touchdowns. He was held below 100 yards rushing just twice — both in the first three games of the season — as he totaled just 65 yards on 11 carries against Thomasville in the season opener and then shut down against Marist as he garnered only 16 yards on 11 attempts. Six times he eclipsed 150 yards, led by a 188-yard and two-touchdown game against Lee County. Against Cairo, he scored four times, adding thee-touchdown games against Tift County, Northside-Columbus, Hardaway and Creekside. In Central’s two playoff games, he churned out 330 yards and four scores on 54 carries.

That followed a sophomore campaign during which he rushed for 1,622 yards and 19 touchdowns — despite missing the Cairo game due to an injury — in guiding Central to a 7-5 mark and the second round of the postseason. In his first varsity start, Choice rushed for 208 yards and two scores on 22 carries against Thomasville that season, later equaling that yardage against Houston County on 21 carries with three scores. He once again torched Lee County with a 313-yard night on just 14 carries with four touchdowns. As a freshman, he rushed for more than 250 yards and four touchdowns — which included a 149-yard, two-score effort against Lee County — during limited time as Eric Dodson’s backup.

“It feels great,” Choice said about getting his college decision made. “It’s like a weight has been lifted from off my shoulders.

“Now I can concentrate on Thomas County Central football.”