Four-Star Linebacker Jamal Anderson adds to Clemson's versatility on defense

★★★★ | Jamal Anderson 6’4, 200 | Mill Creek High School, Hoschton, Georgia

Jamal Anderson‍ is anNFL legacy who guided Georgia’s Mill Creek HS to a Class AAAAAAA state title in 2022.

Rankings: Ranked as the No. 130 overall player in the nation by ESPN.com, which also listed him as the No. 9 player in Georgia and the 12th-best linebacker in the nation … rated as the nation’s No. 145 overall player by On3, which ranked him as the 14th-best player in the state and the nation’s 10th-best linebacker … listed as the No. 174 overall player in the nation by PrepStar, which listed him as the 16th-best player in Georgia and 14th-best linebacker … consensus four-star player … listed as the 18th-best linebacker in the nation by Rivals.

In High School: Helped Mill Creek to a state championship with a 70-35 victory on Dec. 10 … guided 2022 team to a 14-1 record …  recorded 56 tackles in 2022, including four sacks, four passes broken up, an interception, a blocked kick and two forced fumbles … scored two touchdowns, one via reception and one on a fumble return … had 12 receptions for 172 yards as a tight end … as a junior in 2021, helped his team to the state quarterfinals while posting 78 tackles for an 11-2 team with four sacks, including one that resulted in a safety … recorded seven total tackles for loss, five passes broken up and two interceptions that year … named first-team 7A All-State as a junior … posted 36 tackles as a sophomore in 2020 with three tackles for loss and three passes broken up … played for Josh Lovelady … wore No. 1 in high school.

Personal: Committed to Clemson on June 13, 2022 … born Dec. 20, 2004 and signed with Clemson one day after his 18th birthday … son of former NFL running back Jamal Anderson, who lettered at the University of Utah in 1992 and 1993 … his father played eight NFL seasons for the Falcons as a running back, recording four 1,000-yard seasons and earning first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors in 1998 when he had 1,846 rushing yards and helped the Falcons to a berth in Super Bowl XXXIII … third in the NFL in MVP voting in 1998 … his sister, Mia, is a member of the University of Georgia track team who competes in throwing events … expected to enroll at Clemson in January 2023.

Our Take:

Luke Winstel

I attended four of Jamal Anderson’s games this season- his preseason scrimmage, season opener, regular season game against Pebblebrook (Ga.), and state title win over Carrollton (Ga.)- and was impressed by his ability to leave a bigger footprint on the game each time I saw him play. Anderson fit nicely into a fantastic Mill Creek (Ga.) defense in front of five-star Alabama commit Caleb Downs. 

Anderson is a menace when pursuing the quarterback as a stand-up pass rusher off the edge. His coverage ability is solid, and he moves from sideline to sideline well. While he’s a rangy, high-ceiling prospect, his game could use some refining. This year, he will benefit from learning from Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and Barrett Carter.

Morgan Thomas - An outside linebacker who is very quick with his reaction time and has a lot of clips defending the ball in coverage. He has a knack for being involved in just about every big play for his team. Good hip movement and knee bend when defending the pass. 

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