2024 defensive lineman Kai McClendon breaks down Mississippi State decision
Gulfport High School’s Kai McClendon had a memorable weekend, to say the least. The 2024 defensive lineman participated in the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star on Saturday and then he headed to Starkville for his Mississippi State official visit.
During that Bulldog visit, McClendon was offered by Mississippi State and he immediately committed to State’s Class of 2024. He becomes the second high school defensive linemen commit in the class, joining On3 three-star prospect Terrance Hibbler.
“It was exciting when they offered me,” McClendon noted. “I committed to them not long after they offered me. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me. I have picked up a lot of offers lately and it has been crazy and surreal. I just thank God for blessing me.”
McClendon also held offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Georgia Tech, Memphis, UAB and Liberty among others. While his stay in Starkville was shorter than normal visits, he still enjoyed himself on campus.
“It was great and I got to see all of the campus,” said the 6-foot-3 and 300-pound McClendon, who stood out in Saturday’s Miss.-Ala. All-Star game. “We did the photo shoots and that was nice and it was nice to talk to everybody. I love how big the campus is and it is the SEC. You can’t get no better than the SEC. It is real organized and they set you up for the future.”
Of course, McClendon spent a lot of time with his future defensive line coach in Mississippi State’s David Turner. McClendon saw immediately that he will enjoy lining up for Turner on game day.
“It was nice being around Coach Turner,” recalled McClendon. “He is a good coach and I like his personality. You can see why players like him and he will be a good coach to play for. You can also tell he cares about his players and I like that about him, too.”
In his senior season at Gulfport High School, McClendon totaled 63 tackles with 11 tackles for loss and five sacks. As he did in high school, he expects to be on the interior of the defensive line for the Bulldogs.
“They like me at noseguard,” McClendon mentioned. “I could also play defensive tackle and it just depends on the scheme. But I will be on the interior either way.”
The weekend visit also allowed McClendon to get a better idea of Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby. McClendon was grateful for the opportunity Lebby extended and is ready to get started with the Bulldogs.
“It was a fun time with Coach Lebby,” added McClendon. “He likes to joke around a lot. He told me to come in and be ready to work. I told him I am ready for that and thanked him for the opportunity. I am happy he gave me a shot and I ready to get going. I love it there and you can’t get no better than that.”
