McCloud attended Sickles High School in Tampa, Florida and played on the Gryphons football team as a running back.

[2] He committed to play football for the Clemson Tigers in July 2014, choosing them over the likes of Alabama, Auburn, and Florida.

[5] In 2016, as a sophomore, McCloud played in 14 of Clemson's 15 games, missing one due to an ankle injury.

[6] In those 14 games, he tallied 49 receptions for 472 yards and two touchdowns, helping Clemson win the National Championship.

[12] In Week 3, in a 27–6 victory over the Minnesota Vikings, he made his first professional reception and had a 13-yard punt return.

He was named by Pro Football Focus on its All-Pro roster as a second-team return specialist.

[27] On October 23, in Week 7 against the Kansas City Chiefs, McCloud scored his first career touchdown on an 8–yard pass from Jimmy Garoppolo.

[31] He finished the 2023 season with 12 receptions for 135 yards while handling some kickoff and punt return duties.