Tag: Andrew Hines III

Coveted 4-star Georgia linebacker updates Clemson interest after competing in Swinney Camp

A coveted linebacker prospect from the Peach State participated in Day 1 of the Dabo Swinney Camp on Wednesday, June 1. Woodward Academy (Atlanta, Ga.) four-star linebacker Andrew Hines III – a 6-foot-1, 215-pound rising junior in the class of 2024 …

A coveted linebacker prospect from the Peach State participated in Day 1 of the Dabo Swinney Camp on Wednesday, June 1.

Woodward Academy (Atlanta, Ga.) four-star linebacker Andrew Hines III — a  6-foot-1, 215-pound rising junior in the class of 2024 — had a great time while competing at the camp and working with the Tigers’ coaching staff.

Hines was invited to participate in the afternoon session of Swinney Camp. After camp, Hines had the chance to walk around a bit and received a campus tour. He also had the chance to watch film with Clemson’s coaching staff and chopped it up with Wesley Goodwin and Stephone Anthony.

“We talked about what they’re looking for in a linebacker,” Hines recalled in a phone interview with The Clemson Insider Saturday. “(Coach Goodwin) told me that the (class of 2024) linebacker group, he’s moving really slow with that. So, he said probably by my junior year, I should hear something.”

Hines was appreciative that Goodwin was forthright about how Clemson is currently handling doling out offers to the class of 2024. It genuinely made Hines feel better because he was under the impression that he could’ve done more during the camp.

Clesmon has only offered two linebackers from Hines’ class — Jefferson (Ga.) five-star Sammy Brown and Our Lady Good Counsel HS (Onley, MD.) four-star Aaron Chiles. At the moment, less than 30 rising junior prospects currently hold offers from the Tigers.

“It makes me feel better knowing that he is going to sometime in the future pull the trigger,” Hines said.

If/when Clemson pulls the trigger on a potential scholarship offer, what would that mean for Hines and his recruitment?

“I have to look at all the options that I have, but Clemson would definitely be up there,” he said.

And while Hines would love to have an offer in hand, he understands that patience is a virtue. His teammate at Woodward, four-star defensive end AJ Hoffler, committed to Clemson earlier this summer. Hoffler didn’t receive an offer from the Tigers until March of his junior year.

“It does show that if you’re patient, things will come later because everyone blows up at a different time,” Hines said. “Some people get the offer earlier than others. Some people get the offer later than others. You just got to be patient and wait not until the very end, but you want to wait a little bit to see all (the offers) you can get.”

Speaking of offers, this past spring was significant for Hines and his recruitment. Dating back to late March, Hines has added offers to his growing lists from schools like Illinois, Cal, Western Kentucky, Mississippi State, Harvard, Duke, UConn, Ole Miss, Memphis, Wake Forest, Arkansas State, UAB and Virginia Tech.

This summer, Hines traveled to Tennessee, Auburn, Georgia and Georgia Tech with his football team, in addition to camping at Clemson and Notre Dame. Hines also visited both Wake Forest and Duke, while he has plans to visit Northwestern later this month. Alabama and Auburn also could receive visits from him as well.

“It’s been good. I’ve gotten to see the difference of what each school brings to the table, the ups and downs of going to different schools,” Hines said. “It definitely is good that I get to go to so many places. I get to see what some schools bring and what other schools don’t. I get to compare schools, which really helps me narrow down and gets me closer to making a decision.”

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4-star Peach State LB eager to peform at Swinney Camp; hopeful he can earn offer

Andrew Hines III has been receiving good news from Clemson. The four-star Peach State linebacker out of Atlanta’s Woodward Academy told The Clemson Insider that the Tigers want him to come up this summer and he’ll likely make his way to Tiger Town …

Andrew Hines III has been receiving good news from Clemson.

The four-star Peach State linebacker out of Atlanta’s Woodward Academy told The Clemson Insider that the Tigers want him to come up this summer and he’ll likely make his way to Tiger Town to camp and workout with Wesley Goodwin.

“It’s been great so far,” Hines said of his relationship with Clemson’s defensive coordinator/linebacker coach. He was just at spring practice (three weeks ago) and we talk about every other week. It’s pretty good. Our relationship is pretty good. I keep in contact with him because I know he can’t contact me first.”

It meant a lot to Hines that Goodwin stopped by his spring practice during the live evaluation period. They had talked earlier in the week and even though Hines knew he was coming, he still said it was shocking. Hines said that Goodwin recorded both him and 2023 four-star defensive end, AJ Hoffler and has kept in contact since.

“After practice, (Coach Goodwin) said I looked good and that he would like for me to come up for a camp this summer,” Hines recalled.

As far as his recruitment is concerned, Hines said he’s moving to a point where he’s looking at the schools that he has the offers from and the schools that he thinks he’ll eventually pick up.

With that being said, what would it mean for Hines to earn an offer from a school like Clemson?

“It would mean a lot,” Hines said regarding a potential scholarship offer. “That’s a big offer and a good school. I would be very happy to get that offer. It’s something not a lot of people get. It would mean a lot, especially at a camp, to get an offer. That would mean a lot to me.”

While it’s too early for him to even consider making a decision, Hines did indicate that it’s likely he’ll know his top five schools by the end of his junior campaign, which isn’t until later this year.

In addition to Clemson, Hines mentions schools like South Carolina, West Virginia, UCF and Tennessee as those currently recruiting him the hardest. Those are likely the schools that he plans on visiting this summer and possibly a couple of other ones.

“When I go to Clemson this summer for the camp, I just gotta do me, I just gotta perform and hope that they pull the trigger,” he said. “I’m not looking for anything different, I just want to see how Coach Goodwin coaches and talks to me, what he can teach me and how I can improve myself. I’m really just looking to perform and hopefully they pull the trigger on the offer.”

Clemson ‘felt like home’ for top Peach State LB during recent visit

A couple of weekends ago, Clemson played host to one of the nation’s linebacker prospects in the class of 2024. Woodward Academy (Atlanta, Ga.) four-star Andrew Hines III made his way back to Tiger Town for the Orange & White Spring Game on …

A couple of weekends ago, Clemson played host to one of the nation’s linebacker prospects in the class of 2024.

Woodward Academy (Atlanta, Ga.) four-star Andrew Hines III made his way back to Tiger Town for the Orange & White Spring Game on Saturday, April 9.

“The Clemson visit was great,” Hines told The Clemson Insider by phone last week. “From the moment we walked in, the coaches said hello, they greeted me, they made me feel at home. They sat down with us. They talked with me and my parents. They let my friend come with me. It was a great visit. It felt like home.

“The visit itself was good. The defense looks really solid, both the Orange and White team(s). I’d definitely want to be a part of that defense.” 

What did Hines hear from Clemson’s coaching staff now that he was back on campus?

“They were talking about what they were looking for in a linebacker and how I could help them,” he said. “They were basically talking about general things, like academics and all that. They showed us how good the school was, how they could use me and make me a part of the team and how I’d fit in.”

What did that mean to him?

“It means a lot,” Hines said. “That school is a very good football school. Would definitely be a good offer to have. It would mean a lot if I got the offer. I really like the coaching staff, they all treat me like family. They’re all very close to me and all keep in contact with me already.”

He had the chance to speak with both Wesley Goodwin and Stephone Anthony while he was on campus.

Hines said that he has had discussions with Clemson regarding an offer, which would most likely come after his sophomore year. The Tigers generally only offer prospects once the calendar hits June 1 and they’re then considered rising juniors.

“That would definitely be a standout offer,” he said. “Not everyone gets that offer. It’s a rare offer, especially because they don’t offer sophomores. To get one going into the summer of my junior year would mean a lot to me. It would be special.”

Hines has traveled the country this spring, so we asked him what stood out about Clemson since he’s now been to Tiger Town twice since March. Hines also took visits to Ohio State, Michigan State, Illinois, Notre Dame, Cal and Stanford.

“The family feel,” Hines said,” and how the players interact with each other, how they interact with recruits. Just how the coaches interact. The coaches came up to me, they greeted me. The competitiveness is definitely something too. That’s what stands out to me a lot.”

Hines will try to get back to Clemson this summer to participate in the Dabo Swinney Camp and take another unofficial visit.

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4-star Peach State linebacker recaps ‘great’ Clemson visit

The Clemson Insider caught up with a Georgia-based linebacker, who was on campus for an unofficial visit Wednesday. We first reported that Woodward Academy (Atlanta, Ga.) four-star Andrew Hines III would be present for the start of Clemson’s spring …

The Clemson Insider caught up with a Georgia-based linebacker, who was on campus for an unofficial visit Wednesday. 

We first reported that Woodward Academy (Atlanta, Ga.) four-star Andrew Hines III would be present for the start of Clemson’s spring practice. Hines recapped his visit in an exclusive interview with TCI Thursday.

“The visit (Wednesday) was great,” he said. “It felt like they were being a family. It was very energetic. The coaches were excited. I was excited. It was just a great visit. The team, the coaches, were all very welcoming. My expectations were definitely exceeded.”

For the majority of his visit, Hines was accompanied by former Clemson standout linebacker Stephone Anthony, who now serves as a graduate assistant on Dabo Swinney’s staff.

“Stephone Anthony, he was with me the whole time,” Hines said. “He walked me around the school. He came and opened the door for me in the front of the building.

“That was very cool. I had someone to talk to that went to Clemson, he played there, he played in the NFL. He told me about the school, how great of a place it was. He talked to me about how it feels like family and it definitely did. He talked a lot about Clemson, how good it was, and he also talked about how good I looked too.”

There’s something about those Peach State linebackers.

What did Hines hear from Clemson’s coaching staff while he was on campus?

“They were talking about how graduation is the No. 1 priority, then football,” he said. “They make sure they get their players a good education and that they graduate and get a job. They also told me that they liked me a lot, that they liked what they saw and that I passed the eye test. I just need to send them my transcripts and I’ll be a step closer to getting an offer.”

Hines had a chance to meet directly with Swinney.

“He was talking about me,” Hines added. “He said he was surprised by how young I was. He talked about my size; I have a good size. He was a very energetic, very active coach. But then on the football field, he was very strict. He was making sure they were doing what they were supposed to do. I heard a lot of great things from him.”

His favorite part of the visit itself was the practice. Hines enjoyed how Clemson’s first spring practice was very intense and high-intensity. He thought the practice was run very well and was a fan of the five-minute increment periods. 

Hines spent a good portion of his time over with Wesley Goodwin and the linebackers.

“I really liked and I liked that they had a lot of assistant coaches, some that played in the NFL and some that graduated from Clemson and played on the team and came back to help coach,” he said. “I really liked what they were doing.

“That linebacker group is good. A lot of athleticism and size in that group. They look like they’ll be something serious this year.”

Speaking of something serious, that’s what you can expect out of Woodward’s defense going forward. Hines blew up during his sophomore season. He was able to get more playing time and showcase what he can from start to finish. He plays both sides of the ball and multiple positions on defense. His versatility and his size really helped spark offers.

During his junior campaign, he’ll have a chance to play with both AJ Hoffler and Myles Graham. His two teammates will be visiting Clemson on March 5 and April 9, respectively.

Hines is already planning to visit Clemson and have an opportunity to see even more of the school. He only got a chance to tour the athletic facilities, but the hope is he will get back on campus within the next month or so. He’s lined up visits to Illinois on March 23, Notre Dame the following day and Ohio State on March 26. He’s also going to UCF on March 19.

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Clemson set to host 4-star Georgia linebacker

The Clemson Insider has learned that a top Georgia-based linebacker/athlete in the class of 2024 has set a visit to Clemson. Woodward Academy (Atlanta, Ga.) four-star Andrew Hines III told TCI Friday that he will be visiting The Valley on Wednesday. …

The Clemson Insider has learned that a top Georgia-based linebacker/athlete in the class of 2024 has set a visit to Clemson.

Woodward Academy (Atlanta, Ga.) four-star Andrew Hines III told TCI Friday that he will be visiting The Valley on Wednesday.

“They expressed interest when I met last month and wanted me to visit,” he said. “They liked my film. Updates through my coach provided the opportunity to visit in March.”

Hines (6-1, 210) currently holds 22 Divison I offers and is considered by Rivals to be a top 100 player in the class of 2024. He was named second-team All-Region for his efforts this past season as an athlete.

Hines is teammates with four-star defensive end AJ Hoffler, who confirmed to TCI Thursday that he will be in attendance for Clemson’s Junior Day on Saturday, March 5.

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