Clear eyes return to SEC
Cameron Clear's first go-round in the SEC doesn't seem to have left any scars. His unceremonious departure from Tennessee? Forgotten. The theft charges that led to it? In the past. He hasn't allowed his mistakes or the painful memories that sprouted from them to alter his second recruitment.
He doesn't want to run away from his past surroundings. Instead, he'd like to revisit them.
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"Like I told my dad, I think I got hooked on the SEC," Clear said. "Wherever I go, it will be in the SEC."
If that's true, it leaves him just two options. The Arizona Western Community College tight end holds a pair of SEC offers: Ole Miss and Texas A&M. Problem is, it's not. He corrects himself quickly when he remembers Norman Oklahoma is not quite SEC Country.
But, hey, in this era of conference realignment, who's really keeping track?
"Right now, it's Texas A&M, Ole Miss and Oklahoma," Clear said. "I like OU a lot. It's just really a tough one. It's between the SEC and OU, basically.
"OU uses a lot of tight ends. Me and (Sooner assistant Bruce Kittle) have been talking back and forth. He's a cool guy, man. I just like the program itself."
Clear is scheduled to visit Oklahoma on Nov. 24 and the trip will be his last. Before that, he'll take an official to A&M on Nov. 17. The rapid pace is nothing new.
A visit to Ole Miss is already behind him, and nothing he saw surprised him. The former four-star prospect's ties to the area have always been heavy. Clear's mother is originally from Oxford and his great grandmother still lives there.
"I've probably visited Ole Miss 60 times over the years," he said.
His big takeaway from the most recent trip had to do with early playing time, which, as it does to most junior college prospects, appeals to him. In his mind, he's waited long enough for his second crack at FBS football.
'When I went down to Ole Miss, I saw that they were in desperate need of a tight end," Clear said. "I like that I can get there and just start playing."
From here, the process will be swift. Clear says he'll take minimal time to mull his options. The timetable is ambitious: Two visits and a decision. Bang, bang, bang.
"I'll make my decision right after my last visit," he said. "I won't try to hold on like I did out of high school. I'll just make a choice right after the visits. I just want to see where I feel most comfortable with the coaches and players. It's not going to take very long."