Clemson has landed a new verbal commitment from a talented Sunshine State defender, who is the younger brother of a former Tiger and current NFL player.
Kobe McCloud announced his verbal commitment to Clemson Wednesday, just a mere couple of days after the legacy recruit, who hails from Gaither (Tampa, Fla.), officially visited campus.
With his verbal pledge, McCloud (6-1, 210) becomes the second official visitor from this past weekend to commit to Clemson. Montgomery (Ala.) Catholic three-star defensive back Kylon Griffin verbally committed to the Tigers on Tuesday morning.
McCloud went into detail with The Clemson Insider about his decision to commit to Clemson.
“Really just the love from the coaches,” McCloud said. “Not just the coaches, but their whole staff. I love that vision that they have for me for the next 3-4 years, so that played a big role.”
In a previous conversation with TCI, McCloud outlined his potential role. Clemson feels like he can play anywhere on that second-level, whether it’s at the WILL or MIKE linebacker positions. According to McCloud, Swinney had previously told him that his playstyle reminds him of former Clemson linebackers like B.J. Goodson and Dorian O’Daniel, both of which went on to play in the NFL.
What can Clemson fans expect out of McCloud?
“I’m a baller on the field and off the field, I’m a great person with good character,” he said. “A person that lights up the room when I walk in. That’s the type of person I am.”
While Clemson sat well with McCloud, even prior to this past weekend’s official visit, he was still in contact with both UMass and Arizona. When he arrived back in Tampa, McCloud realized that Clemson was where he wanted to be.
“I felt that I would be there and not be homesick,” he said of Clemson. “Like a home away from home.”
Even though he’s seemingly already comfortable at Clemson, McCloud will have a familiar face in a fellow linebacker signee, Jesuit (Tampa, Fla.) three-star Wade Woodaz. The two played on the same 7-on-7 teams and even went on college tours with one another.
“That’s my boy,” McCloud said of Woodaz. “We’re very excited. We’ve already talked about it.”
McCloud is relieved to have made a decision and excited about his new chapter. That sentiment seemed to be echoed by Clemson’s coaching staff and his older brother, Ray-Ray McCloud when he informed those close to the situation of his decision.
“They were pumped up,” Kobe said. “That was a great moment. They are fired up.”
Clemson defensive coordinator and linebacker coach Wes Goodwin, who served as McCloud’s recruiter, will, of course, will be making some tweaks to the Tigers’ defensive playbook.
Obviously, it’s imperative that when Kobe arrives on campus, he spends an innate amount of time getting familiar with the nuances and terminology of Clemson’s defensive playbook. Because of his versatility, Kobe suggests that once he arrives on campus, he’ll play whatever position Clemson needs him to play. First and foremost, he’s a team player, but he’s willing to do whatever it takes to get on the field.
All in all, he’s excited about the class of 2022, which he officially joined Wednesday.
“I think Clemson did a great job recruiting and also with some of the guys they still want like Caden (Story) and Andrew (Paul),” he said. “Those are some good guys, not just on the field, but off the field. They got good personalities. I think the coaches did a good job recruiting.”
Now that he’s committed to Clemson, what would Kobe tell prospective recruits like Story and Paul, who are considering coming to the Tigers?
“It’s a home away from home,” Kobe said. “The coaches, they’re gonna take care of you like you’re their sons. All the coaches on staff have been there for a very long time. They’re the only school in the nation that I see not having much coaching change, except for Coach (Venables), which was like 10 years later. The person that recruits you, that’s the person you’re gonna get.
“Their whole village of Clemson is all about love and stuff. Obviously, on the field, they’re gonna help you. They’re known for that. They put people in the league. You can’t go wrong.”
God always going to show the way….Watch how he work this one!! IM ALL IN 1000%….🐅🟣🟠⚪️ #ALLIN pic.twitter.com/tt7gLJ7swp
— Kobe Mccloud3️⃣ (@Kmccloud3423) January 27, 2022
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