University of South Alabama Athletics

Jaguar Highlights: A preseason second-team all-Sun Belt Conference selection at defensive tackle by Athlon Sports, earning third-team honors from  Phil Steele Publications as well ... Enters preseason practice as the starter at defensive tackle ... Chosen one of the most improved individuals in the strength and conditioning program by the coaching staff at the end of the spring campaign ... Collected three tackles for the Red in its 38-0 victory in the Jaguars’ annual spring game.

As A Junior (2013): Appeared in all 12 contests in his initial season as a Jaguar, with his first career start coming against Sun Belt Conference co-champion Arkansas State ... Credited with 34 stops, with 4½ of those behind the line of scrimmage including three sacks ... Recorded career-best five tackles in each of USA’s final three games — all wins — against Louisiana-Monroe, Georgia State and league co-champion Louisiana-Lafayette ... Had a career-high two sacks in victory over the Warhawks with another coming the following week at GSU ... Collected four total stops at Tennessee ... Finished with three tackles in Western Kentucky win, and had three stops in consecutive outings against Kent State, Texas State and ASU ... First career stop behind the line was an assist at Troy.

Junior College Highlights (2011-12): Helped NWMCC to an 8-2 record, which included a 5-1 mark in the in the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges his last fall ... Rangers ended up ninth in the final National Junior College Athletic Association rankings after defeating Kilgore (Texas) JC in the inaugural Brazos Valley Bowl ... Part of a defense that was 14th nationally after allowing 316.6 yards per game and recording 37 takeaways ... Finished with 51 stops including 10 behind the line of scrimmage — which tied for second on the squad — and four sacks ... Intercepted a pass, forced a fumble and was credited with a team-leading 10 quarterback hurries as well, earning all-state honors ... Posted eight tackles in back-to-back contests against Holmes (Miss.) CC and East Mississippi CC ... Collected six stops in the regular-season finale — a win over Jones County (Miss.) JC — as well as against Mississippi Gulf Coast CC in the MACJC semifinals, and recorded five in the bowl victory ... Had at least one tackle behind the line in each of the last three contests, while earlier in the season he recorded three in the HCC win and 2½ in a victory over Coahoma (Miss.) CC.

High School Highlights: Prepped at Pensacola High, where he lettered in both football and track ... Helped lead the Tigers to the state 3A championship as a senior.

Personal: Full name is Jerome Anthony McClain ... Born July 13, 1992, in Tampa, Fla. ... Son of Perry and Lynn McClain ... Older brother, Terrell, was a four-year letterwinner as a defensive tackle at South Florida from 2007-10; after being selected by the Carolina Panthers in the third round of the 2011 draft, he is currently playing for the Dallas Cowboys ... Favorite movie is “Scarface” ... Favorite book is “American Gangster” ... Favorite teams are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Houston Texas ... Favorite athlete is his brother ... Favorite musical artist is Rick Ross ... Favorite food is spaghetti ... Likes to play video games and build model cars in his free time ... Received offers from Arizona State, Troy, Florida International, Florida Atlantic, Memphis and UAB after concluding his junior-college career ... An interdisciplinary studies major.