Even after Brent Venables’ departure, Toriano Pride still chooses Clemson. Here’s why
Toriano Pride didn’t want to say anything.
Then-Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables was conducting an in-home visit with the East St. Louis (Ill.) High School four-star cornerback on Nov. 30 while reports that Venables may be leaving continued to surface. Of course Pride saw it all, but having that discussion in front of his family just didn’t sit well with him.
Five days later, Venables was announced as Oklahoma’s next head football coach.
“Actually, before the announcement came while the media was going out, he told us he wasn’t leaving,” said Pride, who’s the third-ranked player in the state of Illinois and the ninth-best corner in the Class of 2022 per 247Sports. “A few days before he announced it and it got official, he was at a home visit at my house. He made a groupchat with most of the defensive players saying don’t believe what you see on the Internet and stuff like that.”
The 5-foot-11, 185-pound future Tiger said he felt “shocked and upset” once everything was official. The salt in the wound was IMG safety Keon Sabb, defensive lineman Jihaad Campbell and cornerback Daylen Everette sprinkling their decommitments from Clemson throughout the week. Everette was the final one to announce his recruitment was back open on Thursday.
“It’s been hard,” Pride admitted. “I built a relationship with most of the guys that decommitted, so it kind of hit home a little bit. It’s a little stressful but it’s all a part of the game.”
He never reconsidered his commitment to the Tigers, though. As much as Pride wanted to play in Venables’ defensive system, that’s not the only reason he wanted to come to Clemson. More than football, he’d formed relationships with coaches and players that have meant a great deal to him.
Cornerbacks coach Mike Reed, along with head coach Dabo Swinney, was also on the in-home visit nearly two weeks ago to spend time with Pride. Reed has known Pride for over a year now and been an integral part of the senior’s recruiting process. After Venables’ departure, Reed reached out to relieve any doubt Pride may have had.
“Basically saying that this program isn’t going down. It’s going to stay the same. Coach Swinney has a plan for all of us,” Pride said Reed told him. “I feel he wouldn’t lie to me. I feel like I can trust coach Reed so I’m just going off his word.”
Then there’s Andrew Booth.
The Tigers’ junior cornerback got to know Pride on one of Pride’s earlier visits to Clemson. The two clicked and kept in touch after finding a commonality in football positions and family life.
When Pride made his decision to come to Clemson in June, Booth FaceTimed him screaming, excited to bring the younger corner into the fold.
“When I talked to him, he said he really likes talking to me and my family because me and my family reminds him of his family because I have a really good support system,” Pride said. “My family goes everywhere with me. My family loves me, does what’s best for me. He was like everytime he looks at me and sees my family, he thinks of himself when he was a senior going into college.”
Booth came to Clemson as a Class of 2019 five-star recruit and recorded six tackles and a pass breakup over 13 games played. Two years later, he’s been pegged as a potential top-10 NFL Draft pick should he decide to forego his final year of college, though no official decision has been revealed.
With the Cheez-It Bowl still to be played, Booth excelled in what was possibly his final regular-season game at Clemson by recording two interceptions in a 30-0 win over rival South Carolina in the Palmetto Bowl.
“He balled out that game,” Pride said, adding, “I just watch his game and he’s like a freak athlete. I’d just like to take that and put it in my little skillbox for when I get up here in January.”
Pride, who was in Clemson this past weekend for his official visit, intends on signing with the Tigers on Wednesday and enrolling early to get a jump on life as a college student-athlete. The timing works out to where he’ll avoid the looming single-digit temperatures that frequent the Midwest this time of year: another box that Clemson checks.
Even though he’s grown up with snow in the winter, Pride chose to come to the south to get away from the cold. Just because he’s used to it doesn’t mean he likes it.
“It’s cool for during the year, but when the season starts, I’m not trying to play in the snow,” he said.
The past week has been a challenge for Pride, certainly one he never expected to face. If it’s one thing football teaches, though, it’s how to handle adversity. The future Tiger hasn’t wavered in his decision to come to Clemson and is looking forward to beginning his college career.
“School is going to be school itself,” said Pride, who plans to major in business. “Hopefully, I get to graduate early since I’m a semester ahead. … For football-wise, hopefully I get to learn the system, get ahead of a lot of other people and get to play in the spring game and show my talent before the season starts.”
This story was originally published December 13, 2021 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Even after Brent Venables’ departure, Toriano Pride still chooses Clemson. Here’s why."
