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Dabo Swinney, Brent Venables visit 4-star Clemson commit Jaren Kanak

Jeremy Crabtreeby:Jeremy Crabtree•11/30/21•

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Kanak-2
Jaren Kanak has flipped from Clemson to Oklahoma. (Courtesy of Jaren Kanak)

There’s been a lot of speculation that Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables is a candidate for the Oklahoma head coaching job. One of the big reasons why his name is being mentioned is because of his recruiting prowess to go anywhere and land elite players like linebacker Jaren Kanak from Hays, Kan.

Despite all the noise about the future, Venables continues to hit the recruiting trail hard for Clemson. He stopped off Tuesday morning in western Kansas to visit Kanak, a coveted four-star prospect.

He was joined on the visit by Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney. And it sounds like a grand time was had by all, based on the tweet shared by Hays High Activities Director Lance Krannawitter.

Jaren Kanak is a longtime Clemson commitment. He had a huge list of national-level offers, including from Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Florida and Clemson. He officially visited Kansas, Iowa, Washington State and Alabama before committing to Clemson in late July.

Kanak is the top overall prospect in Kansas, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. On3 ranks him as the No. 74 player in the entire country and the fifth-best linebacker prospect overall.

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Jaren Kanak fits Venables’ defense

Jaren Kanak is a perfect fit for the Tigers, according to Adam Luckett of Clemson Sports.

“Kanak will bring a specific skillset to Clemson that will allow the Tigers to continue what has been some really productive play from the off-ball linebackers in their 4-3 scheme over the last few seasons,” Luckett wrote.

“The athleticism jumps off of the screen when Kanak’s tape starts rolling. He logged snaps at wide receiver, running back, and Wildcat quarterback on offense. He did this while playing both inside and outside linebacker on defense. In simple terms, this is an all-around football player who will likely transition to a spot at linebacker in college.

“Additions like Kanak assure the Tigers that the defense will continue to remain elite in the future.”