When he was back in Cincinnati, Ohio watching the 2015 college football championship game, Hunter Clegg could have only hoped to have an opportunity to one day play for one of the two teams on the field. Though he was in Ohio, there was something that attracted him about the team on the opposite sideline from Ohio State that night.

Flash forward a few years, and now Clegg is living in Utah where he has become one of the prospects on the rise out west with an offer from Oregon and many other top programs.

The 6-foot-4 edge defender was playing junior varsity football just a couple years ago, and he thought he was having a successful career as a wide receiver. Deep down he know his future at the time likely wouldn’t end with a college scholarship to a Power Five school.

He was merely hoping in-state programs such as Southern Utah or Dixie State would become involved. Clegg was urged to try out playing defense. He had the type of size to be an edge rusher, and he possessed enough speed to be a difference maker at the position.

He simply needed to add weight. So, he did. He eventually put on 35 pounds during the offseason before the 2021 season when he made his debut as a full-time edge rusher. That ended with 29 tackles, nine tackles for loss and five sacks.

It also landed him numerous Power Five offers.

Since the end of December he has picked up offers from USC, Washington, Cal, West Virginia, Arizona and Oregon. It has been a bit of a whirlwind for Clegg.

“It has kind of been a lot,” Clegg said of his increased recruiting attention as of late. “Lots of phone calls, lots of coaches coming through. I’ve just focused on still just doing my thing making sure it doesn’t get in my way or change my mentality of being a kid with zero offers to being a kid with 10 or 15.

“I’m still the same guy, nothing’s changed, but I’m just starting to get more recognition. I haven’t done anything in college. I’m still just a high school football player, so I’m just trying to do my thing and just be grateful for all the opportunities.”