Brent Venables looking back into Kansas for speedy athlete

Kanak (right) hopes to visit Clemson in early June.

David Hood - Senior Writer - Tuesday, May 18 2021

One of the fastest-rising prospects in the country hails from Kansas, and Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables is once again looking towards his home state looking for a dynamic playmaker.

Jaren Kanak (6-2, 210) is a talented 2022 3-star athlete out of Hays (KS) who is starting to draw interest from all over the country. Kanak can play anywhere from linebacker to safety or play a hybrid of both, and his offer list continues to grow. He has offers from both in-state Power 5 programs, along with schools like Nebraska, Iowa, and Penn State.

He has been in touch with Venables, who hails from Kansas.

“I heard from them about three weeks ago, a little over three weeks ago, maybe a month. I heard from Coach V, Coach Venables, contacted me first,” Kanak told TigerNet. “He's a Kansas guy. He grew up in Salina, or lived in Salina for a while, and has those Kansas ties, which is cool. And he mentioned Isaiah Simmons, Everybody in Kansas knows who that guy is and looks up to him. So, I know quite a bit about him.”

Kanak drew Venables’ attention last week with a blistering time at a conference track meet.

“That would have been in Liberal, Kansas at our conference meet, and I ran a 10.37 laser-timed 100 meter,” Kanak said. “I’ve always been pretty naturally quick and fast, and I was always a fast kid growing up. I always loved and enjoyed sports and grow passionate for it. So I do all kinds of things just to improve on that speed that was already God-given. I do all kinds of speed drills, speed workouts. I go hard in the weight room, that type of thing. And it's all just paying off, I guess. All that work I put in, it's showing on the track.”

Kanak said he tries not to limit himself to one position.

“I'm not really too sure on a specific position. I like to think of myself as a pretty versatile player,” he said. “That's what Coach Venables describes me as. He says that I could do a lot in their defense, whether it be rover, safety, linebacker, or float around in between, just do a little bit of all of them. But I don't have a specific idea yet, but I think I could definitely push myself and develop myself into either one of those.”

Would Venables be willing to dispense a coveted Clemson offer?

“He obviously said that he really loves the way I play the game, and my track numbers, and what I've put on film so far, and thinks I'm a real versatile guy,” Kanak said. “I think the biggest thing is just making sure that I'm a committable offer and that I'm really committed to come in that far. And he basically said that what they want to do is set up a visit and see if I'm willing to come down for an unofficial visit and take the time and money out of our pockets to come down and prove to them that I'm committed to the idea of going that far. And he wanted me to come down and do some drills and stuff and said that they'd see about an offer. He wants to make sure that I'm committed to that distance and come down for that unofficial.”

That means a trip to Dabo Swinney’s high school camp in June, and Kanak has already bought the plane tickets.

“We've actually already bought plane tickets and booked it. June 1st is unofficial (visit to) Clemson,” Kanak said. “It’s just a great opportunity to get on a campus like that and be around some of those guys that have had that much success, not only what they do on the field but (also) off the field. I'm really looking forward to getting around to that stuff and taking it all in. And then at the same time, getting up there and moving around and working out in front of these guys that have developed amazing NFL talent in the past, and showcasing what I can do for them.”