Clemson’s new cornerback signee is exactly what the Tigers needed, just ask Dabo Swinney,
Douglas County High School (Villa Rica, Ga.) 2022 three-star CB Myles Oliver saw his recruitment directly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequently, the NCAA transfer portal. Still, Clemson cornerbacks coach Mike Reed was able to identify a need.
As The Clemson Insider previously mentioned, Reed has a longstanding relationship with Oliver’s head coach at Douglas County, Johnny T. White.
He was put on to Oliver’s impressive senior year film and immediately was struck, wondering why this was the first he was hearing or seeing about this kid.
The rest is history.
“We needed another guy at corner and I think Mike did an awesome job, just identifying and evaluating,” Clemson’s head coach said Wednesday in his National Signing Day press conference. “Sure enough, everybody kind of came in there, but he’s gonna be a good one for us.”
Oliver earned a 6A all-state selection in Georgia following a senior season, in which he recorded 75 tackles with five interceptions. He finished the 2021 season with 552 all-purpose yards — including 101 via interceptions returns — and four total touchdowns.
He also didn’t become a defensive back overnight. He’s a converted quarterback, who made the switch prior to his junior campaign. Oliver primarily played the safety position in 2020, so it wasn’t until this past season that he saw a significant chunk of time at cornerback.
And while he still might be a little raw, he made a pretty seamless transition.
“I’m really excited about Myles Oliver, out of Douglas County High School in Georgia,” Reed said, via Oliver’s official Clemson bio. “Very instinctive, always around the ball…Hasn’t played the position that long, so he still has some development, but I love what I see out of him. He’s a Great young man that comes from a great family, a good program.
He comes from a family that’s had a lot of great football players. Oliver has two first cousins — Brandon, who played wide receiver at Georgia Tech, and Braelen, who is a starting linebacker at the University of Minnesota. Also, his older brother, Malik, played at Jacksonville State.
Myles is also cousins with New York Jets starting cornerback, Michael Carter II. Carter is also from Douglasville, as he played his high school ball at South Paulding before heading off to an illustrious career at Duke.
“I love the fact that he can play corner or safety,” Reed added. “Can’t wait ‘til he gets here. He’s gonna provide an immediate impact for us and the Clemson family will come to love Myles Oliver.”
Perhaps the most notable part of his game is his speed.
Myles is also a track athlete. He finished in the top six in the state in both the 4×100 and 4×400 relays. His ability to fly up and down the field has earned him a pretty interesting comparison from Swinney.
While Swinney hates to compare two players to one another, it’s how a head coach’s mind operates and if you’ve been doing it for as long as he has, it can be how you evaluate certain players, like Myles.
“He can fly,” Swinney said. “(Wednesday) morning I was kind of comparing him to a Coty Sensabaugh. He’s a little thicker. Coty was very frail when he got here. This kid’s put together more than Coty, but he’s got a similar body. I think he’s got a similar upside. And he is fast and an awesome, awesome kid.”
“It feels really good to be signing with Clemson,” Myles told TCI Tuesday night. “It marks the start of a new chapter in my life. Committing took some weight off my shoulders and signing just ties it all together.”