Dante McClellan intrinsically has a great mind for football.
He stepped on campus at Canton (Ohio) McKinley as a quarterback and middle linebacker, but he soon expressed that wasn't where he wanted to continue his playing career.
McClellan shifted to wide receiver and outside linebacker in his sophomore year, and then about three or four games into the season, he solidified a starting spot on the defense and never looked back.
"He's a guy who loves physicality," McKinley coach Antonio Hall said. "He loves to hit. He loves to put his hands on guys and reroute them. He likes to establish his physicality early on in the game."
Playing with a high motor, McClellan shifted around the defense his senior season. He moved back to inside linebacker, his more natural position, since teams were continuously running opposite of him.
"Talking to some of the coaches after last year, even early on this this season, one of their main focal points of a game plan was run away from Dante," Hall said.
McClellan thrived on being the big-time player making big-time plays, a notion Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz has preached over the past few seasons. And there were at least three games in 2023, where McClellan sealed a win for McKinley.
"He's an effective guy no matter what he's playing," Hall said. "One of those guys that can change the game in all three phases."
Recruiting
McClellan wanted to surround himself with like-minded people. Planning to enroll early at Missouri, after signing Wednesday, the linebacker is expected to pick out the weight-room and meeting-room warriors to put himself around the best in the program.
"He's a guy who isn't going to get any riff-raff off the field," McClellan said. "He's a guy who's focused on what he wants to accomplish."
McClellan made his decision based on feel, and while visiting Missouri, he felt appreciated, at home and embedded in the locker room. He saw a fair opportunity to compete within the program.
"It felt like home when I stepped on campus," McClellan said after committing to Missouri in April. "I have good relationships with the staff and coaches there."
