Five-star free safety staying patient, looking forward to June visit

Sabb has a good relationship with the Clemson coaches.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Thu May 06 08:01:03 GMT-04:00 2021

Keon Sabb is patient, and that could work in Clemson’s favor.

Sabb is a 2022 5-star free safety who will play next season at Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy, and he believes in the adage of patience being a virtue. When he was asked if Clemson fans should be concerned about head coach Dabo Swinney’s policy of not taking official visits until the season, Sabb says it actually could be an advantage for Clemson.

“I’m really patient with the recruiting process,” Sabb said. “I’m not looking forward to making any drastic decisions right now. It’s kind of intriguing to me the way their recruiting is really different from everybody else. They aren’t scared to tell a top guy 'no.' Some guys don’t want to wait, but I’m ok with waiting.”

Sabb primarily plays free safety but also moonlights at receiver and quarterback. He’s an athlete along the lines of a former Clemson All American, and that is how Brent Venables and Mickey Conn envision using him in their defense if he chooses Clemson.

“They showed me a lot of different schemes with Isaiah Simmons,” Sabb said. “He was kinda like a linebacker type of guy. They are going to use me like an Isaiah Simmons, but the safety version. They were showing me how easy it is to make plays. There were plays where Isaiah was untouched and easy plays to make.”

He says the Tigers are in contact with him daily, adding that a recent virtual visit was considerably different than his on-campus visit during his 8th-grade season.

“We talk on IMessages and FaceTime, coach Venables and coach (Mickey) Conn every day,” he said. "I did a virtual weight room visit with them and it was really nice. They’ve got some new stuff in there.”

In addition to being patient with regards to his recruitment, Sabb says Clemson understands he’s not the only member of the Sabb family that colleges will have to impress.

“They’ve built a strong bond with my parents and my family. That’s a big thing for me, like having relationships with my parents,” Sabb said. “You’ve got to recruit me as hard as you recruit my parents. The relationship between me and Clemson is really strong.”

The rising senior plans to attend Clemson’s Elite Retreat the weekend of June 11th. He’s already set an official visit with Georgia the weekend of June 18th. Sabb is also working to reschedule a visit with Penn State and hoping to line up a date with LSU. He’s also strong with Oregon.

“They (Clemson) are a top school for me,” Sabb said. “I love the school. I feel like it’s a great fit. Just waiting until June to get a chance to visit and figure everything out.”

Sabb said he won’t make his decision until after his season, largely because Clemson won’t allow his official visit until the season. He is on target to graduate early and plans to sign in December.