Family Like Culture at Clemson too Much to Resist for Andrew Mukuba

Clemson added to an already stellar recruiting class on Thursday when SI All-American candidate Andrew Mukuba committed to the Tigers, choosing Clemson over other finalists LSU and Texas.

Clemson has gone into the backyard of the Texas Longhorns and picked up a commitment from one of the nation's top safety prospects. 

SI All-American candidate Andrew Mukuba officially committed to the Tigers on Thursday, adding to what is already one of the best recruiting classes in the country. Mukuba chose the Tigers over other finalists LSU and Texas. 

The culture in place at Clemson played a huge part in putting the Tigers over the top, as Mukuba has already created strong bonds with the coaching staff. That, and the fact that the Tigers were only taking one safety this cycle, and that they wanted it to be him, really hit home with Mukuba.

"The people there and the consistency of the coaching staff," Mukuba exclusively told All Clemson. "They be having fun at the same time while winning. I love to see it. The communication I had with the coaches, the relationships. The fact that they was only taking one player (safety) in my class and for them to focus on me, it was big to me."

Clemson didn't officially offer Mukuba until the middle of March, something that the 6-foot, 185 safety from Austin says doesn't happen every day with high school prospects where he lives.  

"It hit different because where I stay in my area it’s rare to get a Clemson offer," Mukuba said. "I was definitely blessed and excited to get that offer."

Just days after he was offered, the NCAA mandated dead period was initially put into effect. With that dead period now in place throughout the end of the year, Mukuba was forced to make one of the biggest decisions of his life without ever getting to visit the Clemson campus. 

"It was really difficult, because it's always a great idea to visit a school you highly consider," Mukuba said. "So you can get a good feel and see what you need to see. The dead period really held me back from committing early on, but the schools that I was highly considering did a great job with the virtual visits. I got to see and hear what I needed too."

Mukuba says he is planning to enroll early, and when asked what kind of player the Tigers were getting, he had a pretty simple and frank answer.

"Really physical, and fast," Mukuba said. "And can cover at the safety position." 

SI All-American Bottom Line:

Mukuba is an athletic, versatile safety type a defensive coordinator can utilize to make plays at all three levels sooner than later at the collegiate level. His in-the-box game plays like an enforcer with downhill success while his high safety skill is equipped to be the last line of defense against the pass as needed. There are good speed, range and ball skills also at play on a frame that can likely carry another 20 pounds or so.

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