This Class of 2022 running back was among the visitors in attendance for Clemson’s 49-3 win over South Carolina State this past Saturday, Sept. 11.
Richland (N.J.) St. Augustine Prep’s Kanye Udoh had a chance to catch up with The Clemson Insider regarding his experience in The Valley and what the three-star running back has been hearing from Clemson as of late.
“It was great. It was an amazing experience getting to see everything up close, getting to be around the players and coaches,” Udoh told TCI. “They seem very interested in me. They said that they wanted me to come back up there again.”
There were a lot of highlights during Udoh’s visit to Clemson, but if he had to pick one, it would be just being around the locker room, he said.
“It just felt like they were really like a family, so to speak,” he added. “It felt like they were really all on one page, one mission, one goal. That was definitely impressive. They all seemed laser locked in and focused.”
It was by no means an easy trip for Udoh and his family, but it was worth it in the end.
He had a high school game the Friday night before and wound up flying out of Philadelphia around 4 a.m. on Saturday morning. Then after the flight, he and his family caught a rental car and drove down to Clemson.
This was Udoh’s first-ever game day visit.
It doesn’t get much better than what Udoh experienced at Memorial Stadium. Not to mention getting the chance to converse with a Hall of Fame running back. That just doesn’t happen every day.
Two weeks ago, Udoh was watching C.J. Spiller’s highlights on YouTube. This past Saturday, he was able to meet Clemson’s running backs coach in person for a surreal experience.
“Me and him had a good conversation on the field,” Udoh said. “He just was seeing how my trip was. I got to ask him a couple of questions, like some advice he would give to running backs. It was a good conversation.”
Though, Udoh’s main point of contact at Clemson has been Tigers’ offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell.
“He’s a really good coach,” Udoh said of Caldwell. “I really like him a lot.
Udoh is unsure of a potential offer, but he does believe that Clemson wants to see what he’s able to put on film during his senior season. With that being said, the New Jersey native is appreciative of the way the Tigers handle the recruiting process.
“I like it because it means if they offer me, that they’re serious,” he said. “They’re not playing no games if they really want me. So they already sort of vetted me out already, see the kind of person I am, they like me and they want me there.”
In addition to Clemson, Udoh mentioned schools like Rutgers, Temple and Nebraska as ones that are currently standing out in his recruitment. He holds offers from the trio of schools mentioned above but also has Power 5 offers from programs like Boston College, Maryland Syracuse and West Virginia.
Udoh describes himself as a fast, big running back, who has good balance and good vision.
He got an opportunity to see how Clemson utilizes its backs in the team’s 46-point win over S.C. State, which got out of hand pretty quickly
“I like how they use their running backs. Getting them the ball in space, trying to make me people miss and get upfield,” he said. “ Will Shipley, he had a good game when I went up there. That was very impressive.”
Clemson rushed 36 times for 242 rushing yards. Shipley accounted for 80 of those yards on eight carries, adding two touchdowns in the process. The true freshman running back was named the ACC’s Rookie of the Week for his performance.
Had a great visit and fun watching the game today at Clemson! @OLCoachCaldwell @CJSPILLER @TajhB10 pic.twitter.com/osZrJP05LT
— Kanye Udoh 🚀 (@KanyeUdoh6) September 12, 2021
Time to get the latest Clemson apparel to show your Tiger pride. Order your officially licensed Clemson gear right here!