A versatile Volunteer State prospect hit the road this summer to visit some schools, including Clemson.
Paris (Tenn.) Henry County 2023 offensive lineman Luke Brown traveled to campus in June to compete at the Dabo Swinney Camp.
Brown (6-5, 300) ranks as the nation’s No. 7 interior offensive lineman in the 2023 class, per 247Sports’ recruiting rankings.
“Clemson was amazing,” Brown told The Clemson Insider. “It was my first little road trip of the summer. I went to a few other schools on the way, but Clemson by far is very impressive. Everything [from the] facilities, staff, campus. It’s just amazing.”
Brown worked out in front of Clemson’s offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell and offensive analyst Thomas Austin. After camping, the two coaches invited Brown and his family on a visit.
Brown’s coaches reached out to Clemson and Caldwell early on his recruitment. There’s a relationship there that goes back to Nashville.
“He heard I could play a little bit,” Brown said of Caldwell. “We went down there for camp. He was impressed with my ability to move and my feet for my size and was looking forward to having me come back sometime this fall.”
Brown isn’t too sure what game he plans to return to The Valley for. His family is considering coming up for the Florida State game on Oct. 30, but there’s no date set in stone just yet.
While he doesn’t hold that Clemson offer just yet, Brown believes that the film from his junior season will be a big factor in whether he gets the offer or not.
Regardless, he’s looking forward to continuing to build a relationship with Caldwell over the next few months and getting to know a bit more about Clemson’s offensive line coach and the program itself, he said.
“It means a lot,” Brown added regarding building a relationship with Caldwell, Austin and Clemson. “You don’t see Clemson offers every day and when they do offer it has to mean something because when they offer, it’s always committable. That means they fully believe in your talents and your ability to play there.”
Brown hasn’t heard too much from Caldwell as of late. It’s been about a month. However, he told TCI that he expects to hear from Caldwell at some point in the near future, considering that programs can start reaching out to players in the 2023 class, now that it’s Sept. 1.
“They’re pretty high up,” he said when asked where Clemson currently stands in his recruitment. “It’s hard not to commit to a place like that if they offer you, especially with all the tools they have to push you forward, not as just an athlete, but as a person…Easily, they’d be a top option if they’d offer.”
Brown plans on enrolling early, wherever he goes, so he’s hoping to have a decision made around at least sometime next summer.
With that being said, what is Brown looking for in a school at the next level?
“What I’m looking for in a school is obviously the academics,” he said. “That comes first because it’s a decision that you have to make in this position is a 40-year decision, not just a 4-year. After academics, it goes to the coaching staff and the people around you, who you’re going to be around every day and who’s going to push you and try to push you up to the next level. And then wherever it feels like home.”
Speaking of coaching staffs, Brown doesn’t have too much of a relationship with Clemson’s just yet. That has more so to do with what’s been happening in Brown’s personal life, so he pushed himself to stay away from the football side of things this summer.
Brown hasn’t been reaching out to too many coaches, he’s just been getting locked in for his junior season, focusing on what lies ahead for him and his teammates.
“When I was (at Clemson) and I spent the afternoon with Coach Austin after my camp, he was a great guy,” Brown said. “Good personality, both of them. Look forward to talking to them real soon.”
As far as this season is concerned, Brown is just trying to get better every day.
“Physical off the ball, dominant and plays with an attitude is probably what I would describe myself as,” he said.
Brown plays left tackle for his high school, but some people project him to play guard at the next level. He has the positional versatility to play each position across the offensive line and has played every one of them except for right guard.
Brown would prefer to stay on the left side, guard or tackle. It doesn’t matter to him.
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