Aside from being unable to make college visits due to the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing NCAA dead period, the recruiting process is going well for Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei outside linebacker Eoghan Kerry.

A class of 2022 prospect, the 6-foot-3, 225-pound junior has collected offers from Colorado, Nevada, Columbia and Yale, while he is drawing interest from Clemson along with schools such as Notre Dame, Florida State, UCLA, Washington and Texas Tech.

“It’s going pretty well,” Kerry said of his recruitment. “It’s great hearing from a lot of places. Obviously hearing from Clemson, which I’m ecstatic about. The dead period and not being able to visit campuses is making it more difficult, but I’m just super grateful and blessed to be able to hear from the schools that I’m hearing from.”

Kerry has kept up with Clemson from across the country and is a big fan of Dabo Swinney’s program, so he is thrilled to be on the recruiting radar of defensive coordinator Brent Venables and the Tigers.

“Clemson is one of my dream schools,” he said. “I love what Coach Dabo has done there. I love the excellence and the character he’s brought to the program, and I think that Coach Venables, his defense, is unparalleled in the country, and I love that about it, too.”

Kerry is in the early stages of his recruitment, which he says is “pretty wide open right now.” He had been planning to make his commitment in July or August, but with the dead period being recently extended through at least the end of May, Kerry said he may move his commitment timeline up or push it back depending on when the dead period eventually ends.

If Clemson were to enter the mix for Kerry with an offer, it would certainly have a major impact on his recruitment.

“It would be a drastic change,” he said. “I’d have to consider moving them to the top of my list, and it’d really make me question where I go in the future, because that’s a great school.”

Earlier this month, Kerry was named the overall MVP of the National Preps Showcase in San Diego and also enjoyed a standout showing at the Stack Sports Regional Showcase in Los Angeles.

As a player, Kerry prides himself on his work ethic and versatility, a la former Clemson All-American and current Arizona Cardinals linebacker Isaiah Simmons.

“They’re going to be getting great versatility, a motor and great IQ,” Kerry said of what he will bring to the table for the college team he chooses to play for. “One of the things I pride myself on is how hard I’ve been working over the last year, and I think I’ve developed myself, with the help of all my coaches and trainers, into a player kind of like Isaiah Simmons. I can come off the edge and I can rush the quarterback, I can plug the hole and stop the run, or I can drop back into coverage like a safety.

“So, that’s one thing I pride myself on, just being able to play anywhere on the field really. And then also, I study a lot of film, and so I think I’m able to see what the offense is doing before they even do it, and that allows me to put myself in the position to make plays. And then I’m just a hard worker, so I never stop. When I’m on the field, I’m there to make the play no matter how far away I am. So, they’re getting a great work ethic.”

Photo courtesy: Eoghan Kerry

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