CLEMSON RECRUITING

Stay hot Clemson: Clemson picks up huge commitment from No. 1 player in Kansas
Kanak poses with Venables in June

Stay hot Clemson: Clemson picks up huge commitment from No. 1 player in Kansas


by - Senior Writer -

Jaren Kanak made one trip to Clemson and saw all he needed to see. Once he knew that no other schools hit the mark like Clemson, he made his decision on a day that honors the memory of his late father.

Kanak is a 4-star 2022 linebacker prospect out of Hays (KS) that saw his stock rise after Clemson showed interest in late May. Kanak’s recruitment took off, but he shut it down Friday evening when he committed to the Tigers and defensive coordinator Brent Venables, the 12th commit for the cycle and continuing a recent stretch of big-time pickups.

Kanak wound up with 30-plus offers and took seven visits, something he called a great experience in a short amount of time.

“It's been an incredible experience from the beginning whether it was when I had one offer or 37,” Kanak told TigerNet earlier Friday. “It's been a great experience the entire time. It's definitely had its ups and downs and difficulties, but I've enjoyed every step of it. I'm excited about the future.”

His parents are on board with his decision to be a Tiger.

“They're really excited for me. They agree with the decision and think it's a great decision and they're really supportive,” he said.

What stood out about Clemson?

“There was a lot that stood out. I think ever since going on that visit, it was, 'could anyone else do better than that?' Clemson is very unique in the way they do things,” Kanak said. “They have a winning culture and are great at developing players, but the way they develop men and developing character is really what stood out to me. There are quite a few schools that I thought about, but Clemson is just the best fit for me.”

Kanak visited Clemson in early June and has known since then that other schools would have to work hard to measure up.

“I'd say I had a pretty strong feeling after that first visit. I had really good connection with the coaches and felt great about the place,” Kanak said. “From that point on, it was just could any other visits top that. I'd say some of them got pretty close and there were some things I liked more at some places because every place has their thing, but after all the visits Clemson stood out. After taking time to think about it, they're just the way to go.”

Today’s date – July 30th – stood out for a few reasons, including the fact it’s the date his dad passed away in an automobile accident in 2008.

“There were a lot of reasons. I wanted to get this done so I could focus on my senior season more,” Kanak said. “Today, specifically, July 30, 2008, was the day my dad passed away, so to commemorate him and honor his name and announce today on a special day that it was once a tragedy but now I'm committing and achieving a lifelong dream. That's one of the main reasons it was today specifically, but doing it before the season was another big reason. I want to focus more on my senior season and not worry too much about recruiting stuff.”

What are the Tigers getting in Kanak, a speedster with verified 10.3 speed in the 100-meter dash and 4.4 speed in the 40-yard dash?

“Everyone says they're a hard worker and I'm going to say it, too. I'm probably one of the hardest workers and I will work as hard if not harder than the guy next to me,” Kanak said. “I'm an aggressive, fast player. My best attribute is probably my speed. My size is pretty good too and I'm only going to get bigger and maintain that speed. I'm an aggressive player and I'm looking forward to playing defense. I'm a consistent hard worker and I will work hard all of the time and I won't make any excuses.”

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spacer Welcome Home Jaren!!!!***
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