Clemson Recruit Reflects on What Cultivated His Talent, Dream School

The recruit looked at the importance of his roots in Savannah, Ga., and his dream of playing at Clemson in an exclusive interview

The Clemson recruit takes pride in his Savannah roots | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Despite a discouraging start to the season, Clemson Tigers football fans still have a bright future to look forward to with one of the top 2026 recruiting classes in the ACC.

With commitments from some of the top recruits at their respective positions, the Tigers are in a position to reload after a rough year.

As several of Clemson’s starters are viewed as projected early draft selections in the 2026 NFL Draft, some younger players, and even true freshmen, could have the opportunity to step in and make an early impact on the Tigers’ defense.

One incoming recruit with the physical tools to potentially slide immediately into Clemson’s defensive line is Kameron Cody, a 6-foot-2, 285-pound defensive tackle from Benedictine Military School in Savannah, Ga.

A look at his film shows an explosive, feisty trench player who frequently wins the leverage battle while manhandling offensive linemen.

During an interview with Clemson Tigers on SI, Cody gave some insight into his mentality on the field and what he feels is his biggest strength.

“I'm a dog. I get my job done. I'll do whatever is needed to win. I want to be the guy that everybody knows will get their job done,” Cody said. “I love stopping the run. That’s my favorite thing to do because I play with good leverage.”

Throughout his high school career, Cody has totaled 203 tackles, 27 tackles-for-loss and 20 sacks.

Adjusting to Power 4 football won’t be an overnight transition. However, Cody explained that growing up in talent-rich Savannah, a town that has recently produced players like Nolan Smith, Kalen Deloach, and Nathaniel Chisholm, allowed him to compete against high-level talent from a young age.

Growing up in talent-rich Savannah, Cody explained that the high level of competition allowed him to be battle-tested from a very young age.

According to Cody’s mother, Savannah’s close-knit community has fostered an environment that allows young athletes to prosper.

“It’s turned into a brotherhood. Everybody cheers each other on. It used to be like crabs in a bucket. But these generation of kids laugh, love and push each other," she said.

While Cody committed to Clemson last April, he explained that he has dreamed of becoming a Tiger since he was in middle school.

“It’s been a dream of mine since seventh grade to play under Dabo and play at Clemson,” Cody said. “I went down there for a basketball camp and fell in love with the campus. I knew that I wanted to play ball there, so I was just waiting and waiting.”

Now, Cody is less than a year away from turning his dream into reality, and possibly making a difference for the Tigers' defense as starting defensive linemen like Peter Woods, Will Heldt and T.J. Parker will likely enter the 2026 NFL Draft.