Tyler McLellan was born and raised in North Charleston, South Carolina and played his high school football at nearby Fort Dorchester High School. He helped lead his varsity squad to a 23-4 record over his final two seasons while earning First-Team All-State and Second-Team All-State honors as a senior and junior, respectively. After his prep career came to a close, McLellan chose to continue his playing days at Campbell University, an FCS program just north in Buies Creek, North Carolina.
McLellan’s collegiate career got off to a slow start with a redshirt year in 2017 and a season lost to injury in 2018.