Former Clemson Cornerback Derion Kendrick to Georgia Bulldogs

Former Tiger standout Derion Kenrick has chosen the Georgia Bulldogs as his new home for his final season of college football.

Kendrick, a senior cornerback who was kicked off the team by head coach Dabo Swinney in February, was found asleep in a car with a gun in his lap on March 12 at around 3 a.m. by Rock Hill police officers, court records obtained by The State showed. He also had a small amount of marijuana, which led to a simple possession charge.

The gun charge is considered a misdemeanor, and he was taken to the Rock Hill jail, where he appeared in court and was later released on a personal recognizance bond.

Kendrick, a Rock Hill native, entered the NCAA transfer portal after he no longer appeared on Clemson's official roster on Feb. 28. Swinney said a day later that there wasn't much to say about Kendrick's departure.

"He’s a young man that I’ve always loved as a football player," Swinney said March 1. "He’s got a really good heart. He’s never been a disrespectful young man or anything like that. Just sometimes there just needs to be a change.”

Kendrick came to Clemson in 2018 as a receiver but was moved to defensive back a year later, where he thrived as a starter.

In 2020, Kendrick had 20 tackles, one for loss, six pass breakups, one sack, an interception and a fumble recovery that he returned 66 yards for a touchdown. He played 382 snaps in nine games (eight starts) last fall. 

Brad Senkiw contributed to this report