Ocoee linebacker McClenton is a tackling machine

Ask those who have seen Ocoee High sophomore linebacker Michael McClenton Jr. terrorize opposing offenses this year and you're likely to get one word that pops out on first reference. Motor.

“That kid has a tremendous motor. It's non-stop and he's a great player. Lots of energy and he's also a great kid.”

Those were the words of Olympia coach Travis Gabriel, talking about McClenton just before his squad defeated Ocoee 39-17 last Thursday in a home game.

Even McClenton himself mentions that word when he describes himself.

“My motor,” he said. “I have a high motor. I love to run around and hit and fly. And I love getting to the quarterback.”

McClenton, a 6-foot, 237-pound sophomore, leads the state in tackles (84) and quarterback sacks (14), according to MaxPreps.

He has special incentive.

“Me and my mom have this thing where every time I get to the quarterback, I get what I want to eat that night.”

And where does one of the best linebackers in Central Florida prefer to eat?

“I love Chipotle. I get Chipotle almost every day,” McClenton said.

That feast will likely continue. McClenton is constantly on the ball and he uses his football IQ to get around single blocks and double-teams. He is quick, strong and intelligent. Armed with quick hands and extreme upper body strength, allowing him to fight off blocks. He he all over the field and finds paths to the quarterback.

McClenton has averaged 21 tackles per game in the Knights' first four games and he's almost eclipsed the half way point in his goal of 200 tackles for the season.

“It's a big confidence booster for me,” he said of the stats. “I just go out there and play football. Stats are stats. I just play for my team. But I do want really want to hit 200 before the end of the season.

“If I reach my accomplishment, next year I'm going for 300. Every time I come out on this field it sparks something out of my blood. When I see these lights it's like, ‘Let's get out here and have fun and get some more tackles. Let's go.'”

More importantly, he wants to win.

“Honestly, I didn't even know until my teammates told me,” McClenton said of leading the state. “I couldn't do it without them. I have the rest of my D-linemen pushing them up to me, so if it wasn't for them, I wouldn't have that.”

College recruitment hasn't exactly taken off, but eventually it will come as coaches get wind of his accolades. The one thing that might be holding many of them back from offering a scholarship is his height.

His frame is packed with muscle, but many college coaches get caught up in their mold mentality. If a guy can't step into their mold of, say, a 6-foot3, 245-pound linebacker, some recruiters move on the next prospect.

The recruiters who are rewarded are those who take a chance on players with McClenton's motor. He's a can't-miss prospect, but he still needs to prove it. A coach's livelihood depends on wins and losses and how well he recruits. Taking a flyer, once in a while, can bode well for the risk-takers.

“Some schools have contacted me but it's coming slowly,” McClenton said. “But I think it will get there. I'm excited about it and it's a long journey. I've talked to Florida State and I talked to Arkansas.”

He understands the waiting process and will be excited once he does receive his first college scholarship offer.

“I love being the underdog. I love when people look at me and say, ‘Oh, he's a good player, but he has no offers, so does he really have what it takes to get there?'” McClenton said. “Being doubted is what made me. I've been being doubted since I was a little kid.”

McClenton was Lake Mary's tackle leader with 24 solos and 72 assists as a ninth grader. He said he realized his football career could be something special last summer, going from camp to camp.

“My whole mindset changed,” he said. “Last year I had a good year, an OK year with 96 tackles, but this year I really went to work with my new guys, because I'm a transfer. Two-a-days, threea-days, calling up telling them, ‘Let's go to the field.' My dad and me would go pick them up and go out there and just have some fun.”

His father is defensive coordinator at Ocoee, Michael Sr., and the younger McClenton knows that sometimes his dad will have to get after him.

“Sometimes he chews me out, but it's all good. I know it's all love with him,” he said.

“I love my new teammates. I love the school. I've been friends with those boys since like third grade, second grade,” McClenton said. “It's just about time I came back over here to play with my guys.”

McClenton said his gaudy stats have changed his priorities. He wants more wins.

The Knights reached the Class 4M (Metro) state semifinal round last year and are 2-2 this season with a lot of players new to starting roles.

“We're coming together. Once our offense gets everything together, I feel like we're unstoppable,” he said. “We have the defense, and we still haven't played our best game. We're still getting people back from being hurt.”