McClellan Shows Off His Talents from Oklahoma City to Durant Last Week
DURANT -- The sun beat down pretty good during the noon hour on July 19 in Durant, Okla. as some of the most highly-regarded high school football players in the region gathered for the ESPN Underclassmen Camp. With COVID-19 and social distancing, masks, and constant disinfecting going on you could tell some players were kind of sleep walking around, but not Chris McClellan. It was our second time to see the 6-3, 270-pound McClellan last week. He was at the i4Football Showcase Camp and actually got to do some pseudo pass pro drills. It was enough to confirm what we've seen on video and that is McClellan can play!
Not only is he a good football player, well spoken, friendly, but he is loyal and he has proven that in a city where it isn't easy to stay loyal. Tulsa may have more recruiting going on at the high school level than at the collegiate. The outlying schools, powerhouse schools in the chase for state championships often wind up with talented transfers from the Tulsa Public Schools, but not McClellan.
"I'm very loyal to my teammates and my team and to Coach Tony Daniels," McClellan told me when I interviewed him before the i4Football Showcase. "He (Daniels) is the one that got me offers with all of the colleges and I think I owe most of my career to him."
Daniels is a good coach and he can certainly make a few phone calls to get college coaches to pay attention, but it's McClellan and his athletic ability in the powerful physical package that he is not shy about working on that got those offers. Right now, Iowa State, Kansas State, Memphis, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, and Mississippi have offered scholarships but more will be coming in.
Last season he had 74 tackles and four sacks and he is just warming up. His first step is a weapon in getting off blocks and when he learns how to use his hands better and he will, then look out.
"The best thing I do is reading the quarterback and watching that run and watching that pass," McClellan told me. "I'm just a playmaker and I make tackles and make big plays."
He knows he has work to do, which shows a smart football player.
"I would like to work on my endurance and my coverage because those screen, those I need to watch for," McClellan said. "Dropping back and covering the running backs and getting out to the flat, I would really like to work on that."
I know he is heading into his junior season, but he looked as good as any of the defensive linemen in Durant and there were 30 there total. He has good feet, upper body strength, intensity and focus. He just needs to polish up on a few things, like using his hands. Then he is going to be almost unstoppable at the high school level.
This is a prospect that I can see Joe Bob Clements and Greg Richmond really fired up to recruit. He says he has no lean and that he is wide open in his recruiting. I can't wait to watch him play this season.
I may have to go up and watch the Edison Eagles take on Booker T. Washington. That game is Sept. 18 and Edison is home for that one. Speed vs. speed.