Veteran Clemson OL Reveals What Clinched His Decision To Join Tigers

Marcus Tate is entering his fourth season with the Clemson Tigers, but his commitment to joining the program came long before that.

Clemson offensive lineman Marcus Tate (74) at the Allen N. Reeves Football Complex during practice in Clemson, S.C. Friday, August 5, 2022. / JESSICA GALLAGHER/ Staff / USA TODAY

Sometimes, in certain moments, you just know where you’re supposed to go.

For Clemson Tigers offensive lineman Marcus Tate he knew exactly when he decided he would join the football program, and he recently talked about it on Clemson’s 2 Right Turns podcast.

Tate joined the Tigers for the 2021 season, but like many recruits, the Sunrise, Florida product was shopping around with several schools as he entered 2019. He was not yet a high school senior but the Top 125 recruit was getting plenty of attention.

In 2019 he made his official visit when Clemson hosted Texas A&M. The rest, as he put it, was history.

"If you were at that Texas A&M 2019 game, you just got the feeling like this was the place to be," Tate said. "I remember I'm on the hill and they would go down the hill once the cannon goes off and I'm like, 'Yo, I gotta get here ASAP.' So that's pretty much when I made my decision to come here."

That game was the second in a home-and-home agreement with the Aggies. The year before, the Tigers went to College Station, Texas, to face Texas A&M and won, 28-26.

In 2019, the then-No. 12 Aggies came to Clemson and fell to the No. 1 Tigers, 24-10.

And that was it for Tate as he committed 21 days after that game.

When he joined Clemson, he was the No. 112 player in the country according to Rivals.com, along with being the nation’s No. 6 offensive guard.

Right away he made an impact, as he became just the third Clemson true freshman offensive lineman since 1972 to start a season opener when he started for the Tigers in 2021 against Georgia. He joined center James Farr (1980) and tackle Mitch Hyatt (2015).

Since then, the 6-5, 325-pound senior has been a mainstay for the Tigers’ offensive line, even as he’s fought injuries. He has played in 32 games and made 27 starts.

He’s been a full-time starter each of the past two seasons but has seen those campaigns get cut short due to injuries.

Tate is shooting for a fully healthy 2024 as the Tigers seek to regain control of the ACC and reach the College Football Playoff for the first time since 2020.