Clemson and Mike Reed continue to express interest in this talented cornerback from the Class of 2024.
Omillio Agard (5-11, 170) is already one of the best players at his position across the nation. Hailing from Philadelphia’s St. Joe’s prep, the 2024 cornerback was recently named a MaxPreps sophomore first-team All-American.
Additionally, he was selected as a Rivals five-star underclassman back in May.
Since Agard’s last conversation with The Clemson Insider, he’s only spoken with Reed one time.
It’s training camp time for St. Joe’s Prep and he’s 100% locked in. Agard also knows that Clemson’s cornerbacks’ coach is in the same boat as the Tigers prepare for their own season, so he doesn’t want to necessarily bother Reed.
When Agard last spoke with Reed, it was about him getting down to Clemson.
“He’s trying to get me down for a game,” Agard said. “He emphasized that because he wants me to see the culture and see how it is in The Valley. I’m definitely gonna try to get down for a game and see how it is.”
While he’s currently focused on training camp, he’s going to sit down with his father in the near future and talk about what schools they’re going to visit.
“Clemson is definitely at the top right now,” Agard said. “We’re gonna see if I can go down and visit and go from there.”
Clemson isn’t exactly around the corner for the Philadelphia native, but it certainly does help that one of his former teammates in Jermiah Trotter, Jr. has immersed himself into Tiger Town, while his younger brother, Josiah, has a great interest in following in his older brother’s footsteps.
“It definitely does [help] because I want to go down there and see Jeremiah again and see how he feels about Clemson and really tell me how it is,” Agard said. “I’ve heard it’s a brotherhood and that’s what our school at Prep is. I know that’s why Josiah is gonna be high on Clemson, not just ‘cause his brother is there, but how they treat their athletes.”
Agard is close with all of his teammates, but he’s particularly close with Josiah, who recently included Clemson in his top-4 after camping in Tiger Town this summer.
What has the younger Trotter brother told Agard about his experience down at Clemson this summer?
“That the coaches show mad love and they’re really genuine and straightforward, ” Agard said. “They don’t sugar-coat anything or try to lie to you.”
That’s comparable to what Agard is looking for in a school at the next level.
“I’m really just looking for a school that has my best interests at heart,” he said. “I don’t want anything behind the scenes that I don’t know about. I just want straight forward, where’s my role on the team going to be and how important I am to the team. I see that through contact and going on visits.”
As for this coming season, Agard is aiming to deliver a fourth straight State Championship for his high school.
He stars at cornerback, while he’s also the team’s kick returner. Right now, he’s focusing on honing in on his technique and working on his speed. He’s been staying after practice to work on his conditioning as well.
Agard tries to take pieces from some of his friends, who happen to be in the NFL and attempt to emulate their games. Agard has become friends with former South Carolina cornerbacks Stephon Gilmore and Jaycee Horn.
Gilmore reached out to Agard over Instagram and told him that he’s been watching him for a long time now. They got in contact after that. He got his number and they talk and text from time to time. They talk about things outside of football as well.
Agard trains with the same people as Horn. The Carolina Panthers 2021 first-round pick had been watching Agard and they met at a training session. Ever since then, they’ve been “locked in.”
“It’s actually crazy, It’s really a dream come true,” he said of his relationships with both Gilmore and Horn. “You always pick pieces, a part of everybody’s game that plays your position on the next, next level. But to know them and actually have a relationship with them and actually have insight on how to get better that a lot of people would not know from just watching their film…it’s amazing and it’s a blessing to have people that see so much in me and can help me get to the level they’re at now.”
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