By Hale McGranahan.
GREENWOOD – Being doubted by others is nothing new to Gage Cervenka.
His football team at Emerald High School tends to fall under the rather large shadow that’s cast by nearby Greenwood, one of the state’s most successful programs.
“We’re the little high school in Greenwood,” Cervenka told TheClemsonInsider.com, after Emerald scrimmaged against Greenwood last week.
“Everyone underestimates how we play and who we are, so I definitely want to make Emerald a name for everybody to know.”
The 6-foot-4, 295-pound Clemson commitment hopes to help leads his team to the AAA state title in December.
“That’s No. 1,” he said. “Just making a name for Emerald, that’s the second thing, because Emerald has always been like the underdog.”
Despite his success on the field and profile as a D-1 prospect, Cervenka also feels like a bit of an underdog.
“People always said I’d be an offensive lineman, from high school to college, they say I’d be an offensive lineman. That’s just one big thing that kind of drives me,” he said, “To be able to go and start my freshman year, to be able to start for Clemson. That would be a big thing for me, to be able to prove to people that I am a defensive lineman.”
Cervenka is rated as a four-star prospect and ranked the No. 25 defensive tackle in the class of 2015, according to ESPN. Scout, Rivals and 247 all rate him as a three-star.
Even though he’s pushing 300 pounds right now, Cervenka will drop below 275 once wrestling season begins. He’ll stay around that weight when he gets to Clemson next summer.
“That’s about what they want me to come in at,” Cervenka said. “They said that would be a perfect weight for me, because I would be able to put muscle on, 25 pounds of muscle and things like that.”
As for what he sees Clemson doing in 2014, Cervenka has high expectations.
“I think they’re going to be pretty good,” he said. “They’re going to have a hell of a defense, I can you that.
“Their front four and all that, it’s going to be hard stopping them…just being around them, just the attitude they have, it’s going to be a great year.”