Clemson appeared to be all in on LB Bradley Shaw of Hoover, AL throughout this recruiting campaign, but Shaw apparently did not feel the same way towards the Tigers. Shaw started to give the Tigers the cold shoulder this month as Arkansas grew in prominence with him.
With that the case, Dabo Swinney turned north for another linebacker for his 2024 class. He was familiar with CJ Kubah-Taylor (6-3 230) of Olney, MD from recruiting and winning a commitment from his teammate DE Darien Mayo last June.
Swinney brought in Kubah-Taylor for an official visit over the weekend, and one of the first things he did was offer him on Friday. That was really all Kubah-Taylor needed to know as he announced a commitment to Swinney and the Tigers Tuesday afternoon.
Kubah-Taylor was not a heavily offered prospect. Prior to the Clemson offer, his top offers included Charlotte, Marshall, Navy and Temple. He made an official visit to Temple this fall. However, he is reported to have progressed a lot as an inside linebacker during this season and performed at a higher level than those earlier offers would indicate from an evaluation standpoint.
“They like how fast and physical I play,” Kubah-Taylor said. “How smart I play. How I come from a complex defense, just like the defense they run. He (Swinney) really liked how I had developed through my whole high school career, especially my senior year. He sees me developing into a great part of the program.”
Kubah-Taylor gives Clemson three linebacker commitments for their 2024 class along with Drew Woodaz and Sammy Brown. He is the 20th commitment for the class.