Clemson continues to show interest in a versatile in-state athlete who was on campus this spring and is planning to compete at the Dabo Swinney Camp this summer.
Sumter (S.C.) High School’s Zyeir Gamble – a 5-foot-10, 175-pound junior in the 2023 class – has remained in contact with members of the Tigers’ staff since his visit to Clemson for the program’s second junior day of the year on March 5.
Gamble has been communicating with senior defensive assistant DeAndre McDaniel, as well as safeties coach/co-defensive coordinator Mickey Conn, and Clemson assistant coach Thomas Austin stopped by Gamble’s school last week.
“Coach Austin was just at the school (on Thursday, April 28), talking, looking around and watching us work out a little bit,” Gamble told The Clemson Insider. “Coach McDaniel, me and him text a lot. And Coach Conn, we talked a little while about a couple weeks ago.”
What has Gamble been hearing from the coaches overall?
“They were just like they want me to come to camp,” he said.
“Just stay humble and keep working,” Gamble added of their message to him. “And then Coach McDaniel, he was just texting me about checking up on me and all, asking how the fam was, just having a family conversation.”
The fact that the Tigers have stayed in touch with Gamble and kept showing interest in him since he was on campus “means a lot,” he said.
“I’ve just got to keep working, and showing that they’re still interested in me, they could be interested in a lot of other juniors around the world, and they’re still interested in me… I’ve just got to keep working,” he added.
When Gamble looks back on his junior day visit to Clemson in March, he said it’s the “family atmosphere” that sticks out to him more than anything from his time in Tiger Town.
“When you walk on their campus, it’s just different,” he said. “Everybody’s like family around there.”
Gamble is eager to showcase his skills and ability for Clemson’s staff when he returns to campus to work out at the Swinney Camp in June.
“I hope they know I’m a ballplayer,” he said. “But I just want to show them that I’m a real ballplayer in front of their eyes.”
Gamble is being looked at by Clemson as a safety but sees action in all three phases of the game for Sumter, lining up at running back and wide receiver on offense, safety, cornerback and nickel on defense, and kick returner and punt returner on special teams.
Last season, he totaled 1,065 all-purpose yards and 14 touchdowns on offense/special teams to go with 40 total tackles, nine interceptions, six pass breakups and two defensive scores.
“It doesn’t matter what position, I’m a ballplayer,” he said when asked to describe himself as a player. “I’ve got a lot of confidence in that, and I can play on either side of the ball, offense or defense. So, I can bring a team anything – both sides of the ball, even special teams.”
Charlotte, Furman and Elon have offered Gamble, who has his fingers crossed in hopes of getting a future offer from Clemson.
“That would be big,” he said. “That would be very, very big. A school like that, a national championship school… That’s like the dream school every football player wants to go to. They’re a national championship school, and you know they put that hard work in. Especially the education side of it, they’ve got a lot of things to offer you with education, too. So, that’d be very big.”
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