Port Huron (Mich.) Northern four-star, two-way prospect Braiden McGregor had several college football coaches in the stands at one of his high school basketball games last week, including Clemson tight ends coach Danny Pearman.
“That was really big for me because I really like Clemson a lot and I love what they have going on there,” McGregor said of Pearman’s long-distance trip to see him play. “Especially coming up from South Carolina to Michigan … We had a snowstorm that night and I warned him before he came, but he still wanted to come. He ended up having to stay the night in a hotel. But just having him come and watch me play, it really meant a lot. We got on the phone after he left, and he’s a super cool guy.”
Pearman and McGregor shared a laugh and chopped it up during their phone conversation.
“He was just saying how he was impressed with my game. He was like, ‘I didn’t expect that from you.’ I just laughed,” McGregor said. “Then we talked about when I’m going to get down there and check them out, and how he thinks I’d be a perfect fit for them and thinks I can make an immediate impact on the program — which that’s crazy to hear from a team that just won the national championship.”
Also in attendance for McGregor’s basketball game last week were Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly and Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson.
The 6-foot-5, 255-pound McGregor is being recruited by various programs as either a tight end or defensive end, or in some cases, both.
Clemson offered him as either in December, and he told TCI that he is set to visit campus for the first time this spring as part of a road trip to several schools during his spring break.
“It’s going to be March 14,” McGregor said. “My family and I are renting an RV, and we’re heading down and we’re hitting a couple schools. We’re hitting Ohio State, Clemson, Alabama, Florida, Florida State and I think Miami. So, we’ll hit those schools while I’m on a little break, and then hopefully take some official visits and then make my decision.”
Since receiving the Clemson offer, McGregor has been in regular contact with Pearman as well as co-offensive coordinator Jeff Scott and defensive line coach Todd Bates.
“I’m just excited to get down there and check out it,” McGregor said of Clemson. “They’re telling me they’re going to show me everything while I’m down there, so it will probably be a close to eight-hour day of just checking out campus, hanging out with the team before they head off to spring break, and then just getting to know them and start to feel comfortable down there.”
Along with Clemson, McGregor owns offers from Notre Dame, Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State and Wisconsin, among others. He hopes to render his decision before the start of his senior year.
When asked where Clemson stands, McGregor made it clear that his interest in the Tigers is strong.
“I definitely like what they’ve been telling me. It’s a national championship program — it’s kind of hard not to like them,” he said. “But they’re starting to make me feel like a big priority, and I think that’s something big. I want to feel like they need me, not just that they want me. So, they’re starting to make me feel like that and that’s really good.”
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