Former Clemson Cornerback Derion Kendrick to Georgia Bulldogs

Former Clemson cornerback Derion Kendrick has announced where he will continue his college career.

Former Tiger standout Derion Kenrick has chosen the Georgia Bulldogs as his new home for his final season of college football.

Kendrick, a senior cornerback who was kicked off the team by head coach Dabo Swinney in February, was found asleep in a car with a gun in his lap on March 12 at around 3 a.m. by Rock Hill police officers, court records obtained by The State showed. He also had a small amount of marijuana, which led to a simple possession charge.

The gun charge is considered a misdemeanor, and he was taken to the Rock Hill jail, where he appeared in court and was later released on a personal recognizance bond.

Kendrick, a Rock Hill native, entered the NCAA transfer portal after he no longer appeared on Clemson's official roster on Feb. 28. Swinney said a day later that there wasn't much to say about Kendrick's departure.

"He’s a young man that I’ve always loved as a football player," Swinney said March 1. "He’s got a really good heart. He’s never been a disrespectful young man or anything like that. Just sometimes there just needs to be a change.”

Kendrick came to Clemson in 2018 as a receiver but was moved to defensive back a year later, where he thrived as a starter.

In 2020, Kendrick had 20 tackles, one for loss, six pass breakups, one sack, an interception and a fumble recovery that he returned 66 yards for a touchdown. He played 382 snaps in nine games (eight starts) last fall. 

Brad Senkiw contributed to this report