Quarterback Cade Klubnik, 8 other midyear enrollees hoping to shine this spring at Clemson

Scott Keepfer, Greenville News

March 10, 2022 at 1:46 AM·3 min read

CLEMSON – With several veterans sidelined by or still in recovery mode from offseason surgeries, nine mid-year enrollees at Clemson have begun making their first impressions during spring football practice, including highly touted quarterback Cade Klubnik.

“The good news for him is he’s going to get a lot of reps right out of the gate,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said.

He’s not the only one.

With four defensive backs either out of eligibility or entering the NFL Draft, players such as Sherrod Covil, a safety, and Jeadyn Lukus, a cornerback out of nearby Mauldin High, will get a chance to shine early and often during the next month before spring drills conclude with the spring game April 9.

“I’m excited to see them out on the field,” Swinney said. “It’s always fun to see those new mid-years. There’s a lot on those guys, but they’re all really talented young football players.”

Here’s an early look at Clemson football’s nine mid-year enrollees:

Sherrod Covil

Position: Safety

Size: 6-foot, 188 pounds

Hometown (high school): Chesapeake, Va. (Oscar Smith)

Rating: 4 stars

Notable: Covil, an Under Armour All-America Game selection, helped key his high school team to consecutive 6A state titles in Virginia in 2020 and 2021.

Clemson safety Sherrod Covil Jr (12) tackles in a drill during Spring practice in Clemson, S.C. Friday, March 4, 2022.

Robert Gunn

Position: Kicker

Size: 6-2, 170

Hometown (high school): Largo, Fla. (Pinellas Park)

Rating: 3 stars

Notable: Gunn, who had field goals of 40 and 50 yards in the USA vs. Japan All-Star Game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, in 2020, recorded touchbacks on 52 of 55 kickoffs during his final two high school seasons.

Cade Klubnik

Position: Quarterback

Size: 6-1½, 188

Hometown (high school): Austin, Texas (Westlake)

Rating: 5 stars

Notable: Klubnik, who is Clemson’s fifth five-star quarterback signee in its past nine classes, is a product of Austin’s Westlake High, which produced Super Bowl MVPs Drew Brees and Nick Foles as well as NFL quarterback Sam Ehlinger. Said Swinney of Klubnik during spring practice on March 9: "He's everything we thought he was. He's very sharp."

Jeadyn Lukus

Position: Cornerback

Size: 6-2½, 175

Hometown (high school): Mauldin (Mauldin)

Rating: 4 stars

Notable: Lukus, rated as the No. 2 prospect in the state, stood out during the Under Armor All-America Game in Orlando, Florida, in January, making a highlight-reel interception that made the rounds on social media. Lukus is scheduled for shoulder surgery during spring break to "clean up some things," according to Swinney, but will be back for summer workouts.

Blake Miller

Position: Offensive tackle

Size: 6-6, 315

Hometown (high school): Strongsville, Ohio (Strongsville)

Rating: 4 stars

Notable: Miller is the Tigers’ third offensive lineman signee from Ohio since 2017, joining Matt Bockhorst (2017) and Jackson Carman (2018), both of whom earned All-ACC honors.

Clemson offensive lineman Blake Miller (78) during Spring practice in Clemson, S.C. Friday, March 4, 2022.

Toriano Pride

Position: Cornerback

Size: 5-9½, 183

Hometown (high school): St. Louis (East St. Louis)

Rating: 4 stars

Notable: Although Pride lists his hometown as St. Louis, Missouri, he finished his high school career in East St. Louis, Illinois, making him the first Illinois high schooler to sign with Clemson since 2006.

Adam Randall

Position: Wide receiver

Size: 6-3, 217

Hometown (high school): Myrtle Beach (Myrtle Beach)

Rating: 4 stars

Notable: Randall is Clemson’s first wide receiver from the Grand Strand since Hunter Renfrow, who began his career as a walk-on in 2014 and now stars for the Las Vegas Raiders. "Physically you could put him in an NFL locker room and he’d fit right in," Swinney said of Randall.

Clemson wide receiver Adam Randall (8) catches a ball in a drill during Spring practice in Clemson, S.C. Friday, March 4, 2022.

Collin Sadler

Position: Offensive line

Size: 6-5, 285

Hometown (high school): Greenville (Greenville)

Rating: 4 stars

Notable: Sadler is the first in-state offensive lineman signed by Clemson since Dorman’s Jordan McFadden in 2018.

Jack Smith

Position: Punter

Size: 6-5, 227

Hometown (high school): Saraland, Ala. (Saraland)

Rating: 3 stars

Notable: Swinney says Smith reminds him of former standout Clemson punter Bradley Pinion, who has played seven NFL season. “He’s really talented – a big, long kid who’s very technically sound coming out of high school.”

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson football: 9 midyear enrollees looking to impress this spring

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Sherrod Covil

Robert Gunn

Cade Klubnik

Jeadyn Lukus

Blake Miller

Toriano Pride

Adam Randall

Collin Sadler

Jack Smith

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