4-star safety Ladarian Clardy commits to Ole Miss: "It is like home away home"

At different times, different schools have had the lead for Ladarian Clardy. Florida State had the edge early in the summer. Washington made a big move late, and Ole Miss has been on top multiple times. And when it counts most, the Rebels are No. 1 and the four-star safety out of Pensacola (Fla.) Escambia has committed to Lane Kiffin and the SEC program.

“Ole Miss is like home away from home,” Clardy told On3. “How the coaching staff recruited me, how they got to know my family, they made it feel like home. That is what me and my family were looking for. Florida State is a great school. I loved Washington too. UCF was up there also. There is something different about Ole Miss. It just felt like home.”

Wes Neighbors was Clardy’s lead recruiter. Pete Golding played a big role too. Kiffin made an impact on the decision as well.

“The coaches made it feel like family on and off the field. Coach Neighbors and coach Golding made me feel like a priority from the beginning. They have a great plan for me. Coach Kiffin and I have a different type of bond. I never connected with a head coach like I did with coach Kiffin.

“The biggest reason I committed to Ole Miss was the coaching staff. Who they are, how they recruited me and the way they made me feel like family was different.”

Now the No. 180 prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking will get to fulfill a childhood dream. Clardy trained for this. He worked for this. The 5-foot-11, 165-pound four-star wants to compete against the best and now he gets to do that.

“My dream has been to play for an SEC team,” Clardy said. “I have dreamed of competing for championships. My dad trained me to go against the best since I was little. The SEC is the best. It has he best teams, it has the best competition and Ole Miss is one of the best programs. I am excited to play in the SEC.”