New Tiger defender Jakarrion Kenan broke his toe when he received his Clemson offer

Jakarrion Kenan is happy to be on campus already after a late offer in the recruiting process. (Clemson athletics photo)

Grayson Mann - Staff Writer - Fri Feb 07 07:00:02 GMT-05:00 2025

One of the best moments in Jakarrion Kenan’s life just happened to be pretty painful.

Kenan, along with the rest of the 2025 recruiting class, participated in Clemson’s recruiting wrap-up on Wednesday night. They shared their stories of how they got to this point.

The new Clemson defender's path has taken him to several spots. Originally committed to Rutgers, Kenan decommitted in October and received a string of offers that took him to a fateful day in early December.

Back home with his friends, Kenan recalled he received a call from a number he didn’t initially recognize. He soon realized Dabo Swinney was trying to get his attention, which resulted in such excitement that he broke a toe.

“So it was December 2nd, two days before signing day, and I was playing my game with my two friends from back home,” Kenan said. “I remember looking at my phone and seeing a random number call me. I'm like, I'm not answering. I looked back down, and it said Dabo Swinney at the top. So I'm like, oh my gosh. So he called me and offered me the scholarship, and I remember being so excited that my friends and I decided to run outside in 20-degree weather with no shoes on. So we get around the house, we're about to get to our door, and all three of us hit a tree stump, and we all break a toe. So yeah, that's a really funny story.”

A broken toe is likely not how Kenan envisioned his Clemson journey would begin, but one thing he did have control over was how quickly he committed.

Shortly after receiving the offer from Swinney, the Bennettsville (SC) native announced his pledge to the Tigers two days later. He was a late addition to Clemson’s 2025 class, and he made sure he wasted no time getting on campus.

Kenan joined the team for the Tigers’ preparations for the College Football Playoff as the team geared up for a trip to Texas.

“Being able to come in and instantly start practice, watch the players in their prime shape, and prep for the college football playoffs,” Kenan said. “It was really good for me. It helped develop my competitive identity, and it also helped my IQ go up just from being here for that little bit of time. So yeah, my experience was really good.”

Kenan’s first experience on Clemson’s roster was without any broken bones, but a toe injury in his eyes might’ve been well worth the excitement, given what these last few months have entailed.