Tag: Myles Oliver

Fast-rising Peach State DB with Clemson ties ‘loved everything about’ latest visit

During its 35-12 win over Furman this past Saturday at Memorial Stadium, Clemson played host to a fast-rising Peach State defensive back that has ties to the program. College Park (Ga.) Douglas County’s Israel “Jacob” Boyce – a 6-foot-1, 175-pound …

During its 35-12 win over Furman this past Saturday at Memorial Stadium, Clemson played host to a fast-rising Peach State defensive back that has ties to the program.

College Park (Ga.) Douglas County’s Israel “Jacob” Boyce — a 6-foot-1, 175-pound junior in the class of 2024 — has been in contact with cornerbacks coach Mike Reed since the beginning of the month and returned to Tiger Town to take in Clemson’s first home game of the season Saturday.

“My time at the Clemson game was a great experience,” Boyce told The Clemson Insider in a phone interview Sunday night. “I felt like family as soon as I got there. I got to do a lot of stuff, like we got to run across the field, going up the hill — that was all a great experience. The coaching staff, I felt like they was very genuine.”

“I loved everything about the visit,” he added. “It was really different.”

Boyce has maintained close contact with Reed since Sept. 1. According to Boyce, Clemson’s cornerbacks coach “snuck up” on him before Clemson’s 23-point win and they exchanged pleasantries on the sideline pregame. They talked about how his season is going right now, but at the same time, Boyce estimates that they talk just about every day.

“I’m getting a lot of love (from Clemson),” Boyce said. “I’m feeding into it. It might be the one.”

Remember, Reed is also now the position coach of true freshman cornerback Myles Oliver, who is out for the season after undergoing shoulder surgery. That’s important to note here because Boyce and Oliver are close friends and former teammates at Douglas County High School.

Boyce speaks a good bit with Oliver, who he said: “definitely loves Clemson.” 

College Park (Ga.) Douglas County High 2024 DB Israel “Jacob” Boyce prior to Clemson’s 35-12 win over Furman on Saturday, Sept. 5 at Memorial Stadium. (Photo courtesy of Boyce)

He maintained Oliver, who missed the majority of preseason camp, is in a good headspace and has a great mindset.

Boyce got a chance to be in the locker room following Clemson’s first home win of the season. He got to speak with both Oliver and sophomore cornerback Nate Wiggins. Boyce added that he also had the opportunity to chop it up with Reed after the game.

“I was real comfortable,” Boyce said of being in the locker room postgame. “It felt like family. I was talking to some players during while they was dancing. It was pumped.” 

Clemson was the first game day visit of the season for Boyce, who is looking to experience game days at ECU, Georgia Southern and Akron.

“The fanbase is crazy,” Boyce said, recapping his Clemson visit. “That fanbase is crazy. That’s the most people I’ve seen at a stadium I’ve been to, especially with the bad weather. That’s one thing when I was talking to Coach (DeAndre McDaniel) — he said that the stadium is always gonna be packed.”

While Clemson coach Dabo Swinney certainly wasn’t impressed with the way his team played defensively against Furman, Boyce left with some positive takeaways. The way Clemson’s defenders have a nose for the ball is something that stood out to Boyce about Wesley Goodwin’s defense.

“The way they swarm the ball,” he said. “They swarm the ball amazingly. They love to get to the ball and they try to get a lot of takeaways. It’s a lot of big hitters on the defense too. I love that. I love contact. I like to hear it.”

Boyce also detailed his own experiences through the first three games of his junior season. He’s recorded an interception and is No. 13 in the region for tackles. Boyce said he was moved to safety and had been moving around, in addition to leading Douglas County’s defense this season.

Most colleges are recruiting Boyce to play all over the secondary, whether it’s safety, nickel or corner.

In addition to Clemson, since Sept. 1, Boyce has heard from programs like Cincinnati, Marshall, Georgia Southern, Miami (OH.), Kansas State, Wake Forest, ECU, App State, as well as the schools that have offered him in Boston College, Buffalo, Liberty, Middle Tennessee State, Coastal Carolina, Arkansas State and Florida A&M.

Photo for this article courtesy of Israel Boyce.

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Reed ‘hurt’ over freshman’s season-ending injury, but says it’s just ‘a little setback’

From a developmental standpoint, Clemson’s cornerback’s room was delivered a blow last week. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney announced that freshman Myles Oliver had a shoulder injury and would subsequently be out for the season. The Tigers plan to go …

From a developmental standpoint, Clemson’s cornerback’s room was delivered a blow last week.

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney announced that freshman Myles Oliver had a shoulder injury and would subsequently be out for the season. The Tigers plan to go ahead and repair Oliver’s injury with surgery and redshirt him, per Swinney, who said Oliver’s shoulder was an issue stemming from high school.

A former quarterback who developed into an all-state cornerback in Georgia, Oliver earned a 6A all-state selection in Georgia following a senior season in 2021 in which he posted 75 tackles with five interceptions. He finished the season with 552 all-purpose yards (including 1011 via interception returns) and four total touchdowns.

The Villa Rica, Ga., native and product of Douglas County High School committed to Clemson back on Jan. 16 and enrolled this summer.

Speaking with reporters Tuesday, Mike Reed was asked how difficult it was to lose a true freshman like Oliver this early into his career.

“It hurt,” Reed said. “Like I said, I brought him here for a reason — I want to see him play. Having a young man not being able to play, sometimes they feel disconnected. So, it’s my job to make sure, ‘Hey, c’mon man. This is a little setback. This is one of the wake-up calls. You gotta fight now. You gotta struggle.’ But, it’s sad.”

If there’s any silver living here for Oliver, it’s that Malcolm Greene knows what he’s going through. The junior cornerback has dealt with shoulder injuries for the better part of four years.

If anyone can offer Oliver advice, it’s Greene.

“My main advice is to buy into the recovery process,” Greene said. “Don’t get discouraged based off how long it’s taken. You might get to feeling really good with the shoulders because the pain really goes away after the first two-three weeks. But, just to stay focused with it and even when you feel like you might be cleared and that you should be done; just make sure that you’re still bought in and every day you’re in there trying to do rehab and just get stronger every day.”

Before Oliver went down with a season-ending injury, Greene had a chance to see glimpses of why he was recruited to play at Clemson.

“I really like what he brings to the team,” Greene said. “Very competitive kid. He’s got some length to him. I can really see him doing big things.”

So does Reed.

“I mean fast, physical — you like it,” Reed said. “He was just hoping that when the news came back about his injury, he was like, ‘Man, I wish it was just something slight.’ But it wasn’t. It’s OK. He’ll be OK. He’ll be ready to go.”

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Freshman cornerback out for season with injury

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney gave an injury update on a freshman cornerback following Wednesday’s practice. Swinney said Myles Oliver has a shoulder injury and is out for the year. The Tigers plan to go ahead and repair Oliver’s injury with …

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney gave an injury update on a freshman cornerback following Wednesday’s practice.

Swinney said Myles Oliver has a shoulder injury and is out for the year.

The Tigers plan to go ahead and repair Oliver’s injury with surgery and redshirt him, per Swinney, who said Oliver’s shoulder was an issue in high school.

A former quarterback who developed into an all-state cornerback in Georgia, Oliver earned a 6A all-state selection in Georgia following a senior season in 2021 in which he posted 75 tackles with five interceptions. He finished the season with 552 all-purpose yards (including 101 via interception returns) and four total touchdowns.

The Villa Rica, Ga., native and product of Douglas County High School committed to Clemson back on Jan. 16 and enrolled this summer.

Come out to support Clemson softball at Dear Old Clemson’s second event which is set for August 27 at the Madren Conference Center.  Clemson returns one of the top teams in the nation and adds some new talent to the mix.   If you sign up for certain club levels you get free access to all Dear Old Clemson events or purchase your tickets today at Dear Old Clemson.

Former teammate of Tigers freshman ‘in love’ with Clemson, waiting for offer

Earlier this summer, Clemson played host to a Peach State cornerback, who is a former teammate of a current Tigers freshman. Israel “Jacob” Boyce – a 6-foot, 175-pound rising junior out of Douglas County High (Georgia) – participated in the June 1 …

Earlier this summer, Clemson played host to a Peach State cornerback, who is a former teammate of a current Tigers freshman.

Israel “Jacob“ Boyce — a 6-foot, 175-pound rising junior out of Douglas County High (Georgia) — participated in the June 1 session of Dabo Swinney Camp. He also had the chance to camp at programs like Alabama, Auburn, Ohio State and LSU this summer.

Though Boyce, who is a former teammate and close friend of Myles Oliver, kept coming back to his time at Clemson and spoke glowingly of his experience in a phone interview with The Clemson Insider recently.

“My experience at Clemson was great,” Boyce said. “I already loved Clemson. I already had a spot in my heart about Clemson. When I went up there — it was different. When I went through the camp, the competition was great, getting to compete with players from all over the country.

After he participated in that day’s particular session of Swinney Camp, Boyce was taken on a tour of campus. Boyce loves to be in the weight room and see the progression that he has, so the weight room at Clemson stood out to him.

Was there anything that stood out about his camp experience?

“(Cornerbacks) Coach (Mike) Reed, he was really on me in the camp,” Boyce said. “I messed up a couple of times and he held me accountable like, after the drills, he was making me go back out there. I competed well at the camp. They ended up moving me from 2024 to compete with the seniors in 2023.”

Boyce loves that type of coaching.

“I’d rather learn what I’m doing wrong than keep doing the wrong thing and keep making the same mistake,” Boyce added. “I love that he kept holding me accountable and kept making me re-do it.”

That style of coaching was one of the pieces that helped sell one of Boyce’s former teammates — Myles Oliver — on Clemson. The freshman cornerback is currently amidst his first fall camp at Clemson and from all indications, has received that same level of hands-on coaching from Reed that Boyce received earlier this summer.

The way Oliver talks about Clemson, Boyce really wanted to see it for himself.

“Every time he comes back down here, we always talk about Clemson,” Boyce said of Oliver. “The first time we see each other, it’s always one of the first things he talks about. Before I came up from the camp, me and Myles was already talking about it. But after I visited, it was just more and more Clemson.”

Boyce had been talking with Reed, even before he started to rake in the scholarship offers this past spring. Since the end of April, Boyce has added offers from Middle Tennessee State, Coastal Carolina, Boston College, Arkansas State, Buffalo, Florida A&M, Liberty, Akron, Eastern Michigan and Morehouse College.

He believes that this season ahead will be big for him and his current recruitment.

“My recruitment is still going up,” he said. “I’m waiting on that Clemson (offer).”

What would a potential offer from the Tigers mean to Boyce?

“That would be a game-changer,” he said. “That would be different. I’m already in love with Clemson, so that would be different.”

According to Boyce, Reed wants to get him back up on campus for a game day visit this fall.

“That was music to my ears because I definitely want to come back up there,” Boyce said. “When he said that, that was one of the biggest things. But, he also said that he was going to stay on top of me. Ever since then, Myles (Oliver) he’ll come back and share with me some stuff about what Coach Reed said.”

— Photo for this article courtesy of Israel Boyce.

Come out to support Clemson softball at Dear Old Clemson’s second event which is set for August 27 at the Madren Conference Center.  Clemson returns one of the top teams in the nation and adds some new talent to the mix.   If you sign up for certain club levels you get free access to all Dear Old Clemson events or purchase your tickets today at Dear Old Clemson.

The Newcomer Files: Myles Oliver

Clemson signed 21 players as part of its 2022 recruiting class, some of whom still have yet to make it to campus. Nine signees went through spring practice as early enrollees while the rest, including transfer Hunter Johnson, will arrive on campus …

Clemson signed 21 players as part of its 2022 recruiting class, some of whom still have yet to make it to campus.

Nine signees went through spring practice as early enrollees while the rest, including transfer Hunter Johnson, will arrive on campus this summer. The Clemson Insider is taking a closer look at each newcomer and the likelihood of him contributing immediately this fall based on development and positional need.

Next up is Myles Oliver.

Position: Cornerback

Height: 6-foot

Weight: 170 pounds

Ranking: 3 stars (247Sports Composite)

Previous school: Douglas County (Georgia) High

Early enrollee? No

The skinny: Oliver is one of three corners Clemson signed this year as the Tigers work to restock at the position with Andrew Booth and Mario Goodrich off to the NFL. As a former quarterback who transitioned to defense midway through his high school career, Oliver is still raw at the position but doesn’t lack for athleticism. He also ran track for Douglas County, so there’s speed to work with, too. Oliver was a Class 6A all-state selection in Georgia following a senior season in which he posted 75 tackles and five interceptions.

Oliver will get his first chance to compete with Clemson’s other six scholarships corners come fall camp, though he was the only newcomer at the position that didn’t enroll early. Fellow freshmen Jeadyn Lukus and Toriano Pride Jr. impressed during their first spring with the Tigers and enter the summer with a leg up on Oliver in terms of experience and getting caught up to speed with the college game. With Sheridan Jones, Malcolm Greene, Fred Davis and Nate Wiggins also back, it may not be realistic to expect Oliver to crack the rotation in Year 1 unless injuries force the Tigers’ hand at the position.

The latest on the competition at position where Clemson has multiple starters to replace

Dabo Swinney and his coaching staff have plenty of positions they’re evaluating this spring, including one on defense where Clemson is losing both starters from last season. Andrew Booth and Mario Goodrich made up one of the nation’s top defensive …

Dabo Swinney and his coaching staff have plenty of positions they’re evaluating this spring, including one on defense where Clemson is losing both starters from last season.

Andrew Booth and Mario Goodrich made up one of the nation’s top defensive back tandems a season ago. Both were first-team all-ACC performers. Now they’re preparing for this year’s NFL Draft, leaving significant holes for Clemson to fill at cornerback.

What’s left at the position isn’t exactly green, though there is a dropoff in experience. Sheridan Jones, Malcolm Greene, Fred Davis and Nate Wiggins are back from last year’s team, but Jones is the only corner on the roster that’s started a game on the outside. Greene, who’s not practicing this spring as he continues to recover from shoulder surgery, has primarily repped at nickel during his time at Clemson.

Jones is also the lone senior among the group, so the natural assumption is Clemson’s most seasoned corner will become a full-time starter next season. Eight spring practices in, though, cornerbacks coach Mike Reed said there’s been little separation among everyone competing for those starting jobs.

“Nobody has cemented any position out there,” Reed said. “I have not made a roster depth chart right now, so these guys are competing every day. Who knows who’s going to start? One may be better working with another guy. Who knows? I’ve got to find the best two, the best four, the best six because I play all my guys.”

Still, it would be a surprise if Jones wasn’t one of the first corners to take the field for the first defensive snap of Clemson’s 2022 season at Georgia Tech. Reed said Jones, who’s started 11 of the 38 games he’s played for the Tigers, has “taken a step” both with his performance and his leadership.

“There’s a time for everything,” Jones said. “Everybody’s time comes different.”

Davis, who’s dealing with an ankle injury, has worn a green jersey throughout the spring as a limited participant, though Clemson coach Dabo Swinney and Reed both said full-contact periods are the only ones Davis is being held out of currently. Reed said he expects Davis to be back at full strength once Clemson resumes practices following spring break, which is set for next week.

A longer body type at the position at 6-foot-1, Wiggins has impressed his coaches this spring. Reed said Wiggins has taken a natural step in his maturity from Year 1 to Year 2, improving his speed and his route recognition since playing in 11 games last season as a true freshman.

“Just talent-wise, he’s as good as we’ve signed here,” Swinney said of Wiggins. “We’re still kind of polishing him up, but he’s a really good football player. I really like where we are with that group.”

Clemson also has two of its cornerback signees, Toriano Pride and Jeadyn Lukus, going through spring practices as mid-year enrollees. With Greene out for the time being, it’s given both a chance to get more reps.

Lukus, the Tigers’ second-highest rated signee during the 2022 recruiting cycle in the 247Sports Composite, has been slowed by a shoulder injury that Swinney said will require surgery later this spring, but Reed said he’s already seen enough from his newcomers to know that both will likely contribute next season. At 6-2, Lukus is the tallest corner on the roster.

“He’s one of those kids that jumps out of the cereal box and he’s already assembled,” Reed said of Lukus. “There ain’t much I’ve got to do. … He’s got an NFL body right now.”

Another signee, Myles Oliver, will join the competition once he reports to campus this summer, one that’s already begun in earnest with a variety of options.

“We’re in a better spot (at corner) than we were this time last year all the way around,” Swinney said.

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Clemson ‘loves what they see’ from CB signee Oliver

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, …

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.”

Transfer portal played a role in Tigers’ 2022 class

Believe it or not, the transfer portal played a part in Clemson’s 2022 recruiting class. Yes, the Tigers only signed one transfer in Hunter Johnson, who Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney referred to as a “boomerang portal guy,” but the pool of high …

Believe it or not, the transfer portal played a part in Clemson’s 2022 recruiting class.

Yes, the Tigers only signed one transfer in Hunter Johnson, who Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney referred to as a “boomerang portal guy,” but the pool of high school players available in the month of February is due to what the transfer portal has become.

Clemson wouldn’t have been able to sign some of its signees yesterday in past years. Prospects like Myles Oliver, Cole Turner, Jahiem Lawson and Kobe McCloud all saw their recruitments directly affected by the portal.

That’s exactly what happened with Oliver, the three-star cornerback out of Douglas County (Villa Rica, Ga.). 

The Clemson Insider has spoken with Oliver’s head coach at Douglas County, Johnny T. White, on multiple occasions. White revealed to us that there were numerous teams who passed on recruiting Oliver — in order to recruit the portal instead — and once his recruitment took off, they tried to circle back around.

During his National Signing Day press conference, Swinney used McCloud’s recruitment as a prime example. After watching Ray-Ray McCloud make some crucial plays in a game for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Clemson’s head coach was making conversation with McCloud’s father, Ray, and asked him where Kobe had decided to sign.

As we now know, Kobe had originally committed to Florida International University but opted not to sign during the early signing period because he had a lot of things coming his way and didn’t really know what he wanted to do. 

Kobe took the month of January to figure some things out. That, of course, led to him signing with Clemson on NSD.

“That’s gonna be more and more the story, to be honest with you,” Swinney said Wednesday, “because there’s not many high school kids getting recruited. In fact, a couple of years ago, a lot of these guys that we just signed, they wouldn’t be here to sign.

“It’s good and bad. It’s good that there’s a bigger pool of high school kids to recruit, but it’s bad because you got a lot of high school kids getting the opportunities that they got a couple of years ago and you got a lot of them that are having to go mid-year too, whether they want to or not.”

Swinney acknowledged that Clemson was pretty fortunate to have the finish to the 2022 recruiting class that it did.

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TCI’s National Signing Day preview: Breaking down commits, targets

The countdown to National Signing Day continues. With Wednesday’s NSD fast approaching, The Clemson Insider wanted to provide a primer to get you ready for the big day as it relates to the Tigers. In the following preview, we break down the …

The countdown to National Signing Day continues. With Wednesday’s NSD fast approaching, The Clemson Insider wanted to provide a primer to get you ready for the big day as it relates to the Tigers.

In the following preview, we break down the commitments that Clemson is set to sign on Wednesday, the targets that the Tigers are in the mix for, and more:

Cole Turner

Vestavia Hills (Ala.) High School wide receiver Cole Turner announced his commitment to the Tigers after his official visit on Sunday, Jan. 16.

Cole, of course, is the younger brother of longtime Clemson safety Nolan Turner. Like his brother before for him, Cole was severely under-recruited coming out of high school.

The Clemson Insider spoke with Vestavia Hills head coach Sean Calhoun, prior to Cole’s offer from Clemson.

“He’s one of those stereotypical guys, who didn’t have much junior film and has a lot of senior film,” Calhoun said. “And, it’s really good and it’s vs. really, really good opponents. He’s a good player.

“Again, he’s just not on recruiting boards because if his senior film was his junior film, he’d be a three/four-star. But, he’s not and I think that the people that do see it and do get on him at this time, whoever gets him is definitely gonna get an absolute diamond in the rough. There’s no doubt about it.”

Myles Oliver

Oliver (6-0, 170) officially verbally pledged to the Tigers on Sunday, Jan. 16. The Douglas County (Douglasville, Ga.) 2022 defensive back, like Turner before him, committed to Clemson after his official visit.

When asked by The Clemson Insider why he pulled the trigger on his commitment to Clemson, Oliver pointed to the coaching staff and the “great campus.”

Across his senior campaign, Oliver recorded five interceptions, 75 total tackles (55 solos), four touchdowns, 101 interception yards and 552 all-purpose yards. He received Douglas County Player of the Year honors for his contributions on the field this season.

Oliver’s head coach at Douglas County, Johnny T. White, talked to TCI in December and spoke about why he believed Clemson would ultimately be a good fit for the under-the-radar defensive back.

“Clemson would be a great place because it’s close to home for him,” White said. “Family’s big to him, so that’s not far. But, at the same time, I think it would be beneficial on both sides. I think he’d end up being a great player for Clemson. I know he’d be a standout guy because he’s a great young man. He’s a better young man than he is a football player, to be honest.”

Kobe McCloud

Kobe McCloud announced his verbal commitment to Clemson Wednesday, Jan. 26, just a mere couple of days after the legacy recruit, who hails from Gaither (Tampa, Fla.), officially visited campus.

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 whom 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.”

Kylon Griffin

Montgomery Catholic (Ala.) three-star defensive back Kylon Griffin elected to commit to Clemson on Tuesday, Jan. 25.

Even though the fast-rising prospect, who was once committed to Mississippi State, had another official visit on the table, his mind was already made up.

“I think there was no more to be said,” Griffin said. “Clemson has it all and more. I think Dabo Swinney has a great culture up there, that continues to evolve and that the whole staff wants the same thing.”

What role does the coaching staff envision for him?

“They compared me to K’Von Wallace,” Griffin said. “He was all-around the backend when he was there. I’m pretty sure they plan to use me all-around.”

Jahiem Lawson

Jahiem Lawson from nearby Daniel High School publicly committed to the Tigers on Friday, Jan. 28.

Lawson – the younger brother of former Clemson defensive end Shaq Lawson, who played for the Tigers from 2013-15 and has spent time in the NFL with the Bills, Dolphins, Texans and Jets – detailed his commitment decision in an interview with The Clemson Insider.

Jahiem (6-4, 215), who received an offer from Dabo Swinney and Clemson on Dec. 20, said he knew for sure a couple of weeks ago that Clemson is where he wanted to continue his academic and athletic career. He told Swinney and his staff that he wanted to be a Tiger while on his official visit to Clemson three weekends ago.

Jahiem chose the Tigers over offers from Missouri, Georgia Tech, Coastal Carolina and Liberty, among numerous other schools.

“The environment is really amazing,” Jahiem said of why he picked Clemson. “Being around the coaches, it’s like a family, and I love that. Going in on my OV (official visit), I just felt so welcomed. That was so exciting for me. So, that made my chances to go to Clemson higher.”

PWOs

Here is a list of all the preferred walk-ons that plan on signing with Clemson on Wednesday:

  • Christ Church Episcopal School (Greenville, S.C.) three-star offensive tackle Mason Johnstone
  • Laurens (S.C.) athlete Michael Mankaka
  • T.L. Hanna (Anderson, S.C.) linebacker Fletcher Cothran
  • Anderson (S.C.) T.L. Hanna offensive lineman Chap Pendergrass
  • Daniel (Central, S.C.) tight end Griffin Batt
  • Daniel (Central, S.C) wide receiver Clay Swinney
  • Daniel (Central, S.C.) quarterback Trent Pearman
  • Central High School (Phenix City, Ala.) quarterback Caleb Nix

Commitment Watch

By now, we know that there are four uncommitted prospects in the 2022 recruiting class that could commit to Clemson on Wednesday.

The Tigers played host this past weekend to a couple of official visitors, so we wanted to pass along the latest we have gathered regarding those official visitors, as well as the other Clemson targets.

T.J. Dudley

One of the uncommitted prospects that Clemson is in strong contention for is T.J. Dudley, a four-star linebacker from Montgomery (Ala.) Catholic Preparatory School who is ranked as the No. 11 outside linebacker and No. 143 overall prospect in the 2022 class by Rivals.

Dudley, a former Oregon commit, decommitted from the Ducks in early December after former Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal departed for Miami. It was around that time when Clemson, which offered Dudley back in June 2020, re-entered the mix for his services.

Clemson made a big impression on Dudley when he visited for a junior day back in the spring of 2020, and he returned to campus for an official visit last weekend – a visit that simply reinforced the things he liked about Clemson back then and only strengthened the Tigers’ standing heading into signing day.

Dudley is teammates with Montgomery Catholic Prep 2022 defensive back Kylon Griffin, who committed to the Tigers last week, and Clemson appears to be the clear frontrunner for Dudley as well. New co-defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Wes Goodwin has done a good job with Dudley’s recruitment.

Dudley will announce his decision at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Caden Story

We also like where Clemson stands with Caden Story, a four-star defensive tackle from Lanett (Ala.) High School, who is ranked as the No. 20 defensive lineman and No. 147 overall prospect in the 2022 class by 247Sports.

Clemson is one of three stated finalists for Story, along with Florida and Auburn. He committed to the SEC’s Tigers last August but did not end up signing in December, then decommitted from Auburn on Jan. 16. He went to Florida for an official visit this past weekend.

The Tigers made a great impression on Story during his official visit two weekends ago. He has a strong and longstanding relationship with Clemson’s defensive tackles coach and run game coordinator, Nick Eason, who also recruited Story when Eason was at Auburn.

While the Gators gave Story something to think about last weekend, we still believe the Tigers are in a good spot heading into Wednesday.

Story will reveal his college choice at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Keith Adams, Jr.

The other official visitor on campus this weekend was Pine View (Saint George, Utah) 2022 three-star running back Keith Adams, Jr.

“I just liked how everybody treated me,” Adams told The Clemson Insider Sunday. “I just enjoyed spending time with the coaches and the players. I had a lot of fun and the facilities were great.”

Clemson originally offered Adams as a grayshirt back when he was a junior in October 2020, but on Saturday, the Tigers offered him a full ride. According to Adams, Clemson loved his film and they saw him progress throughout the entirety of his high school career, which is why they offered him a full scholarship.

“It meant a lot,” he said, “to actually get it in person, it felt a lot different than receiving it over the phone. It was a special moment for me and my family.”

Adams, of course, is the son of former Clemson All-American linebacker Keith Adams Sr., who went on to play seven years in the NFL and played in the 2005 Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Clemson made a big impression on Adams Jr. and his family this weekend, and while he won’t make his decision known until Wednesday, we like the Tigers’ chances heading into signing day.

Adams will reveal his college choice at 1:40 p.m. Wednesday.

Andrew Paul

Heading into this past weekend, those close to Andrew Paul’s recruitment viewed Clemson as the frontrunner for the Parish Episcopal School (Dallas, Texas) three-star running back. However, Georgia has given him something to think about after his official visit to Athens this past weekend.

As far as his recruitment is concerned, Paul is very closed vest. So much so, that many of those around him are unsure of what he may decide. That being said, while we believe Georgia and Kirby Smart made a big push to land Paul’s commitment, we feel the Tigers still have a legitimate shot to land his signature on Wednesday.

Clemson has certainly put its best foot forward with Paul as well.

“He loved it,” Parish head coach Daniel Novakov said of Paul’s official visit. “He loved the place. He loved the people. He loved Coach Swinney. I think he really liked the kids he visited. I think he liked everything about it.”

The Tigers have been recruiting Paul hard since C.J. Spiller was in attendance for Paul’s state playoff game last month. Clemson’s running backs coach stayed for the entire game. That went a long way with Paul and his trainer Brandon Williams, who trains the three-star running back at FASST Performance & Fitness and has done so for the past three and a half years.

“That showed me not just the value, but the perception that I got from C.J. standing there the entire time just tells me where their relationship is with Andrew,” Williams said. ‘“Hey, this young man is what we want. It’s been amazing to see all those things, especially the respect level.”

Paul has built a close relationship with Spiller. He’ll have a tough decision to make between Clemson, Georgia and Michigan.

Paul will announce his decision at 12:20 p.m. Wednesday.

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Oliver talks official visit, Clemson commitment: ‘I just really had to trust the process’

Myles Oliver is as humble as they come, but this past weekend’s events are still surreal. The Douglas County (Douglasville, Ga.) 2022 cornerback, who was on an official visit to Clemson this weekend, announced his verbal pledge to the Tigers on …

Myles Oliver is as humble as they come, but this past weekend’s events are still surreal.

The Douglas County (Douglasville, Ga.) 2022 cornerback, who was on an official visit to Clemson this weekend, announced his verbal pledge to the Tigers on Sunday afternoon. He did so just a mere 24 hours after announcing that Clemson had extended him a scholarship offer.

Both Oliver and his head coach at Douglas County, Johnny T. White, spoke with The Clemson Insider on Sunday night, recapping the official visit and why he ultimately decided to commit to Clemson.

If anything, it was the family-oriented atmosphere that sold Oliver and his family on Clemson.

“I met the coaches and talked with the coaches,” Oliver said. “We had good conversations. I liked the campus. The dorms. I liked everything, honestly.”

Clemson cornerbacks coach Mike Reed has served as Oliver’s primary recruiter. It was White, who put Reed onto Oliver. The rest is history.

“We’ve built a good relationship and my impression of him is that he’s a cool, funny guy,” Oliver said of Reed. “He’s really honest. He won’t lie to you or be biased or anything.”

What was Reed’s message to Oliver this past weekend?

“He told me to come in and play with a chip on my shoulder and show how good and athletic I am,” he said. “He told me that I’m gonna have to come in and learn the playbook when I get here.”

That won’t be a problem for Oliver, though. He’s always played with a chip on his shoulder. After being overlooked and under-recruited, Oliver trusted the process. He never lost his faith.

“I just knew that my time was going to come eventually, he said. “I just really had to trust the process.”

After Clemson extended an offer to Oliver, he practically committed on the spot.

“Something like that,” he said. “It was quick.”

Following Clemson’s annual awards banquet dinner Saturday, Oliver drove back home with his family. While he was on his way back to Douglasville before the incoming storm, he had found the next place he’d call home in Clemson.

“He was excited,” White said. “They enjoyed the whole visit. I talked to him and his dad [Sunday] morning. They were excited. I just let him know that as hard as he works, I expect that work to even jump up a notch because you’re going to a special place. You gotta be ready to go.

“They rolled out the red carpet,” White said. “Coach Swinney sat with him and talked with him a lot, talked with the family. Myles had said that he started developing a great relationship with the defensive coordinator [Wes Goodwin]. 

“So, everything was all go. He had a couple of opportunities for some other visits, but it made no sense. He’s done. We’re done. He’s coming back to school now, just focussing on finishing up his second semester strong academically and having a great track season and staying strong ‘cause he’s still in our weightlifting class and getting ready to compete at Clemson.”

White has known Myles since he was around 4 or 5-years-old. Oliver’s father, Marcus, used to be the resource officer at Creekside High School (Fairburn, Ga.) and White was the head coach of the football team.

“This is just amazing,” White said. “I’m just happy to see his goals come to fruition. I know how hard he’s gonna work until he leaves in June. They’re gonna get a guy that’s gonna be ready to go.”

You’d be hard-pressed to crack the smile from White’s face.

“I love all my kids and I love for all of them to be successful, but I gotta be honest with you, this is definitely a family celebration,” White said.

Myles comes from a family that’s had a lot of great football players. He 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.

Those family connections also extend to the NFL. Myles is cousins with New York Jets starting cornerback, Michael Carter II. Carter, who shouted out his “lil cousin,” on Twitter, is also from Douglasville, as he played his high school ball at South Paulding before heading off to an illustrious career at Duke.

Myles does have a connection at Clemson, believe it or not. Amari Robinson, who is a junior forward on Clemson’s women’s basketball team also went to Douglas County. According to White, Robinson told Myles that she’d look out for him.

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