This DL that Kiffin, Durkin  and Joyner are building is really going to be something in 2022-2024

I fully think OM will flip Oatis from Bama  and flip the William kid from Crystal Springs from F$U and if in anyway they can bring former home state guy Nolan home it would just be the cherry on top of a GREAT class, not just a good one

https://twitter.com/Lane_Kiffin/status/1413644195554861063

We turned to Tupelo High School head coach Ty Hardin for his perspective. Clayton played under Hardin's tutelage as a junior and will do again for his senior season this fall."I would say he's a humble kid," Hardin shared. "He's a kid that sometimes, in a good way, you wouldn't know he's there, because he's a kid that never gets into trouble. He's reliable. For a kid to have had an SEC offer early in his ninth-grade year, he has always been a good, humble kid. He's got phenomenal parents, a phenomenal upbringing. I can't say enough things about how high of a character kid he is. He's kind of a quiet kid. He's not going to talk a lot. He's not your rah-rah guy. He's there to do his work."

"He and (2023 offensive lineman) Zae (Alexander) have become really good friends. They ride together every morning for workouts. They are always the first ones at the field house. It's me and then they show up. I get there two or three hours before everybody gets there. They get to the field house an hour before everybody else does. They're good kids and you can rely on them," related Hardin.

"He's one of my main D-linemen. That's what he is for us. He's going to be that four technique. This past season was kind of his first season playing on the defensive line. He played tight end the year before. He played a little defense at the end of his sophomore year. When I came in, I was like let's put this kid on defense. At tight end, I didn't really feel like we could showcase his talents. When you're 6-6 and 275 pounds and move as well as he does, you're pretty hard to block. He's definitely raw, but he's eager to learn," said Hardin.

 Clayton has spent time in the off-season working on defensive line skills with former Ole Miss standout Channing Ward, who spent some time in the NFL."He's actually kind of kin to him," Hardin explained. "He's getting better at that position. I know some folks project him as this and that and different things, but he's a defensive lineman for us. He's one of our guys right there. Can he be a lot better? Oh yeah, he can be a lot better. That's just because of him not having played the position for long. He's our four technique. We can move him from four, and when we go to the four down stuff, he can play the five, seven or he can go to three. I think on the next level he projects on the defensive line as a three technique. You never know...I don't want to reveal too many secrets...but he's such a good athlete, you might look out there one day and we've got a jumbo package and he's in there as a tight end or fullback or something."


from 247 Spirit