Former Hillsborough standout defensive lineman Leslie Stirrups is coming home.

Stirrups, who has played junior college football in Mississippi the past two years, said Wednesday that he has verbally committed to the University of South Florida.

“I’ve always known that’s where I was going to end up,” Stirrups said.

Stirrups initially signed with USF out of high school in 2006 but did not qualify. He spent one season at Pearl River Community College before transferring to East Mississippi Community College, where he just wrapped up his sophomore season.

Stirrups said he’d never wavered from the commitment he made to USF as a senior at Hillsborough, and made that point clear to USF coach Jim Leavitt and USF defensive line coach John Hendrick during a phone conversation a few weeks ago.

“[Coach Hendrick] and Coach Leavitt had called me up and said they had heard a whole bunch of rumors that I wasn’t going to go there,” Stirrups said. “That’s when I told them. I was like, ‘Coach Leavitt, I told you out of high school, from Day 1, that’s where I was going to come. I’m coming.’”
“[Leavitt] just wanted to hear it from me,” Stirrups said. “He just wanted to hear it out of my mouth and make sure I was coming to South Florida.”

Stirrups, who said he will sign with the Bulls in February, is set to graduate in May and said he will enroll at USF during the summer. One of the biggest things he said he’s looking forward to is playing football back in Tampa, something he said many thought wouldn’t happen.

“I mean, it’s going to be big on me. I’ve been in Mississippi for two years, been away from home, and coming out of high school a lot of people thought I wasn’t going to make it,” Stirrups said. “This will give me the opportunity to go to my hometown and prove to everybody that thought I wasn’t going to be nothing that I made it.”

After a productive freshman season at Pearl River CC, in which he was credited with 27 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and a sack in nine game, Stirrups had a breakout season at East Mississippi CC. Stirrups was named to the 2008 MACJC All-State First Team-North Division after totaling 71 tackles, including 11 tackles for loss and a pair of quarterback sacks.

“Leslie Stirrups is a difference maker,” East Mississippi CC defensive line coach Ed Holly said. “Every single game that he played in, he not only played but he dominated.”

Holly described Stirrups as an explosive player and said the lineman’s first move is among the best he’s seen.

“It’s like lightning in a bottle,” Holly said. “One [opposing] coach even said one time his takeoff is faster than a hiccup.”

CLANTON TO UCF: Orlando Christian Prep power forward Keith Clanton signed with UCF Wednesday, choosing the Knights over USF.
Clanton’s high school coach is former USF guard Reggie Kohn. Last year as a junior, the 6-foot-8 Clanton averaged 21 points, 13.9 rebounds and 3.1 blocked shots.