Top Missouri defender says Clemson is "in a perfect spot"

Pride says Clemson is in a perfect spot.

by Jake Pierce - Recruiting Reporter - Mon Mar 08 13:01:50 GMT-04:00 2021

One of the top players in the 2022 class recently released his top seven schools, and Clemson remains one of the major players in the 4-star’s recruitment.

St. Louis (MO) Lutheran North cornerback Toriano Pride released his top schools Friday, putting Clemson in a group that also includes Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Missouri, Ohio State, and Oregon. Pride is currently listed as a 4-star by 247Sports, ranked as the No. 73 player overall and the No. 10 cornerback in the ’22 class.

Pride has been a star on the 7v7 football scene, recently being named the Alpha Dog of the NFA 7v7 tournament by 247Sports. Pride was wearing a Clemson hat at that event, and the Tigers look to be in a very good spot with the playmaking corner.

“Clemson is in a perfect spot with me right now,” Pride told TigerNet. “I like how they run their program and I like how they are family-oriented. And I really like coach (Mike) Reed and coach (Brent) Venables.”

Pride’s Clemson recruitment has been primarily handled by cornerbacks coach Mike Reed. At 5-11, 182-pounds, Reed likes Pride’s ability to line up at multiple positions in the secondary.

“They can put me everywhere in the secondary because I’m dynamic,” he said. “If I go in and grind, there’s a good chance of playing early. My strengths are my footwork, technique, and my physicality. I feel comfortable playing press-man at corner.”

Pride has taken multiple virtual visits with Clemson and plans on taking visits with all of his top schools when on-campus recruiting resumes. What is Pride’s plan with his recruitment moving forward? And what will he be looking for in each program?

“I plan on committing before August,” Pride said. “And just if I like my position coach, do I like the players there, does my family like the school, and if I can see myself there for 3-4 years.”

Pride displays 4.5 40 speed and is very fluid at the corner position. Pride is very physical in the open field and does a great job of maintaining position downfield and getting his head around to find the ball on deep throws. Pride was recently named to the 2022 All-American Bowl, one of the top all-star games for high school players.