Clemson Freshman Toriano Pride a 'Typical' Mike Reed Cornerback
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CLEMSON, S.C.- Despite just being a handful of practices into his first spring at Clemson, Toriano Pride is already standing out.
The 2022 SI99 member out of St. Louis is what cornerbacks coach Mike Reed described as his prototypical player at the position.
"People always ask me when I recruit, you know, what's your typical corner? Toriano Pride," Reed said after practice on Monday.
The longtime Clemson assistant said Pride has all the physical tools that he looks for in his players.
"As far as size, speed, strength, physicality, he has it," Reed said. "I mean if you look at him on the practice field, I mean, he is really what you want."
Reed is no stranger to spotting talent. In each of the past four seasons, the Tigers have seen multiple corners under Reed's tutelage earn All-ACC honors. Last season, both of Clemson's starting cornerbacks were named first-team all-conference players.
That kind of talent has helped the Tigers field some very strong secondaries in recent seasons, and while some on the outside looking in might think Reed tends to favor the long, athletic guys, that's actually not the case. His only concern is whether a player can produce.
"Some people think, you know, I recruit taller guys," Reed said. "No, that's not the case. I want the best guys. If they happen to be tall, okay, fine. I don't want to coach a bunch of Mike Reed's, though."
Pride was one of the more highly-touted corners in the 2022 recruiting class. He had close to two dozen offers, with some of the most successful programs in the country after him. And standing 5-foot-11, he might not be one of the tallest Clemson corners in recent years, but he has the pedigree, and that's all Reed is concerned with.
"He's a tremendous young man," Reed said. "Comes from a great football program. And like I said, he's the reason why I went out to St. Louis to go get a corner."
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