Clemson was the first stop of the summer for a standout in-state tight end recruit, who is now on the Tigers’ recruiting radar.
Fort Mill (S.C.) Catawba Ridge High’s Brady Ambrose — a 6-foot-4, 230-pound tight end in the class of 2025, participated in the Dabo Swinney Camp on June 1.
“It was a good camp, I loved it, ” Ambrose recently told The Clemson Insider in a phone interview. “Coach (Kyle) Richardson and all them were really into it, in touch with the campers and all that. (Davis) Allen and all the tight ends on the roster were really being a part of it and helping him out with every little detail. It was a good experience all combined. You really never felt alone with it. If you ever needed help you could go ask somebody.”
Did Ambrose receive feedback from Clemson’s tight ends coach/passing game coordinator?
“Coach Richardson, he said he liked my size and everything like that,” Ambrose recalled. “I still need to work on a couple of things — I’m young. I still need to work on a couple of things, which is all good because I know I do. He just says he likes my build and athleticism and stuff like that.”
“I love Coach Richardson,” Ambrose continued. “He knows what he’s talking about. He’s been around football since forever. Being a head coach at Northwestern around here, we play them in the region now at Catawba Ridge. It’s gonna be a cool little connection between us two…I love him as a coach and I think he knows what he’s talking about.”
Those things that Richardson had mentioned had been a point of emphasis for Ambrose this offseason anyways. Ambrose said that he’s been working on his speed and route running and perfecting his blocking. Speed was the biggest thing that Ambrose worked on this offseason; just getting faster off the ball.
Ambrose is a three-sport athlete, who also plays basketball and was a region champ in shot put.
“I would say my game is probably designed after (former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end) Rob Gronkowski — I’d like to say,” Ambrose said when asked to describe himself as a player. More of a blocking first and then spreading the game out to the wide receiver — not everything’s about the run. I mean, we have an almost 1,5000-yard running back in the backfield, so I’m gonna help him get to his goals this year. And then surprise and slide me out wide and run some routes out there.”
That’s why Ambrose has focused on his speed and route running this offseason.
“Blocking, I think, is just a big part of a tight end’s game in general,” he said. “If you can’t really block as a tight end…it’s gonna be fun this year seeing where I can go with the blocking game and our running back, Tyler Jones.”
Before the start of his sophomore season, in addition to Clemson, Ambrose camped at South Carolina, Ohio State, Michigan, Virginia Tech and App State.
“I think the main thing about Clemson that stood out between other camps is that they strive to be a student-athlete, not just an athlete,” he said. “They try to embrace being an athlete as well as a student and being an all-around good person.”
Ambrose’s father played college football at Indiana, while his mother played college basketball at Dayton, so he knows all about the recruiting process.
“My dad and I are gonna try to make it to a lot of college games this year and just feel around and feel the atmosphere of the games and stuff,” Ambrose said.
Clemson, he said, is at the “top of the line” for a potential game day visit.
— Photo for this article courtesy of Brady Ambrose.
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