The Clemson Insider has learned that Clemson offensive line coach Thomas Austin would be stopping by the high school of a big-time offensive lineman Monday. Austin was expected to visit The Loomis Chaffee School (Windsor, CT.), which is home to 2023 …
The Clemson Insider has learned that Clemson offensive line coach Thomas Austin would be stopping by the high school of a big-time offensive lineman Monday.
Austin was expected to visit The Loomis Chaffee School (Windsor, CT.), which is home to 2023 four-star offensive tackle Olaus Alinen.
Clemson has been in contact with Alinen as Austin previously expressed interest in visiting his high school, while offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Brandon Streeter followed him on Twitter recently. He’s recently started to get in constant contact with Austin and is hopeful that they can continue to further their relationship.
While Alinen’s never visited Clemson before, he’s heard a lot about it from his teammate, Dante Reno, who is a priority quarterback target for the Tigers in the 2024 recruiting class.
“He talks a lot about Coach Streeter and getting recruited by them,” he said of Reno,” and he likes them a lot. I am staying with him for spring break and I think we’re gonna visit Clemson together during spring break.”
Alinen confirmed this past weekend that he will be visiting Clemson this spring. He’s excited to get down to Clemson to see what it’s all about.
If you’re asking yourself why Alinen will be staying with Reno and his family during spring break, it’s because he’s originally from Finland. He’s been in the United States for over a year now.
“It’s been good,” he said. “I’ve been enjoying it. The transition was pretty smooth. I came to the right place. People have been really helpful. It’s been a good transition and it went as well as it could have been.”
He’s been playing football for the past five years. He joined Gridiron Imports, an organization that’s goal is to place international players like Alinen at the prep and college levels.
How would the big-time offensive lineman describe himself as a player to someone who hasn’t seen him play before?“
I’m patient with my pass sets,” Alinen said. “I’ve got good mirroring skills and it’s hard to get past me in a pass set, to be honest. I didn’t allow a single sack this year. I’m a physical run-blocker. I finish plays, so I can block to the second level. I got a good football IQ. I know what I’m supposed to be doing. I can adjust and I can read the defense(s). Those are my strengths.”
As far as his recruitment is concerned, Alinen acknowledged that he is still weighing his options as he takes his time to build up relationships. Sure, some recruiting services have him pegged as a University of Alabama lean after his recent visit to Tuscaloosa, but he still wants to take his time, take his visits and wait to see what the best choice for him is.
With that being said, what is he looking for in a school at the next level?
“A place that I can play good football, win games, get better against good competition and get developed as a player in the weight room and as a person too,” Alinen said. “Get a good degree and get to study what I want to study and have a school supporting me with my academics a lot. And just a family-type of atmosphere, a place that I feel comfortable at and people that I want to be around for the next 3-4 years.”
Alinen (6-7, 315) holds over 30 scholarship offers and currently ranks as the No. 12 offensive tackle and No. 125 prospect overall nationally in the 2023 recruiting class, per the 247Sports Composite rankings.
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