Tag: Thomas Austin

Priority local OL talks latest Clemson visit, where Tigers stand

Clemson played host to this priority local offensive line target last Saturday for the second time in the past two home games. Greenville (S.C.) High School four-star offensive lineman Blake Franks returned to campus for the Tigers’ 27-21 victory …

Clemson played host to this priority local offensive line target last Saturday for the second time in the past two home games.

Greenville (S.C.) High School four-star offensive lineman Blake Franks returned to campus for the Tigers’ 27-21 victory over Syracuse at Death Valley.

“It was great with an amazing atmosphere,” Franks said to The Clemson Insider regarding the gameday visit.

The 6-foot-5, 310-pound junior in the class of 2024 also made an unofficial visit to Clemson for its previous home game vs. NC State on Oct. 1 — his first time attending a game in The Valley.

On the Syracuse game visit, he was accompanied by his Greenville teammate, 2024 defensive end Jayden Wilson-Abrams.

“He had a good time watching the game,” Franks said, “and he got to talk to Clemson D-end coach (Lemanski Hall) before we left.”

Franks was able to catch up with various coaches including Thomas Austin, who extended an offer to Franks on behalf of the Tigers in late July.

What was the overall message that Clemson’s offensive line coach conveyed to Franks on Saturday?

“That I’m one of their guys and that I’m a priority,” Franks said.

Franks also had the chance to speak with head coach Dabo Swinney after the game and cited that as the highlight of Saturday’s visit.

“He was happy I got to make it to the game,” Franks said of what he heard from Swinney, “and wanted me to come back to tour the campus sometime.”

Added Franks of what he thinks of Swinney as a coach and person: “I think Coach Swinney is a family man, and when he coaches, he tries to bring that part of him to the way he coaches a little bit.”

Franks, who holds more than a dozen scholarship offers in total, released a top eight last week featuring Clemson along with South Carolina, Florida, Ole Miss, North Carolina, Miami, Alabama and Florida State.

Did his latest Clemson visit change anything about where the Tigers stand with him at this point in the recruiting process?

“Yeah it changed a little bit,” he said, “but I already thought very highly of Clemson before going to the game.”

Up next for Franks is a visit to Florida State for its game against Georgia Tech this Saturday. He has also been to South Carolina, Miami, Ole Miss, Alabama and Florida this season.

Franks is rated as a four-star prospect by Rivals, which considers him the No. 4 prospect in the Palmetto State, No. 8 offensive guard nationally and No. 250 overall prospect in the country for the 2024 class.

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One of nation’s top OL confirms visit to Clemson

One of the nation’s top offensive line prospects for 2024 will be in the real Death Valley Saturday afternoon to watch Clemson battle Syracuse. Daniel Calhoun from Roswell, Georgia will be back in Clemson. Calhoun first visited the Tigers in March. …

One of the nation’s top offensive line prospects for 2024 will be in the real Death Valley Saturday afternoon to watch Clemson battle Syracuse.

Daniel Calhoun from Roswell, Georgia will be back in Clemson.  Calhoun first visited the Tigers in March.

The Tigers offered Calhoun in June.

“It means a lot,” Calhoun told TCI after the offer. “Clemson is a powerhouse in the classroom and on the field.”

 

4-star Clemson OL commit: ‘Tiger Town is a special place’

Ian Reed returned to Tiger Town earlier this month to take in Clemson’s 30-20 win over NC State on Saturday, Oct. 1. The four-star Clemson offensive line commit in the 2023 class certainly didn’t leave campus disappointed after experiencing a night …

Ian Reed returned to Tiger Town earlier this month to take in Clemson’s 30-20 win over NC State on Saturday, Oct. 1.

The four-star Clemson offensive line commit in the 2023 class certainly didn’t leave campus disappointed after experiencing a night game at Death Valley during what was a top-10 matchup between the Tigers and Wolfpack.

“Tiger Town is a special place,” Reed told The Clemson Insider. “I’ve never been to an actual night game at Clemson before, so this was my first game going, and it exceeded all my expectations just from a fan and atmosphere standpoint.”

Reed, a senior offensive tackle from Vandegrift High School in Austin, Texas, committed to the Tigers on June 7 of this year.

Being back on campus for the NC State game simply reinforced to Reed why he chose Clemson over numerous other scholarship offers.

“It just feels like home to me,” he said. “I felt like I made a great choice of coming here, and I can see why it’s such a special place. You’ve got people lining up like six miles outside the stadium for tailgates, and it’s this crazy, awesome atmosphere. The tradition, as well, and just how loud the crowd is and how supportive the Clemson fans are – I mean, we’ve got the best fans in the country, honestly. Out of all the places I visited before I committed to Clemson, definitely a huge difference.”

During the NC State game visit, Reed was able to catch up with basically the entire offensive coaching staff, as well as some defensive staffers.

What was the message to Reed from coaches like head man Dabo Swinney and offensive line coach Thomas Austin?

“Just enjoy your senior year, basically,” Reed said. “Enjoy your time basically and just enjoy those little moments with your teammates and your family since I’m coming in early, and focus on your goals for whatever your team wants to accomplish. We just had normal conversations. Nothing football related – it’s like life and all that.”

The visit also afforded Reed the opportunity to spend more time with fellow commits in Clemson’s 2023 class as they continue to build a strong bond while preparing to come in together.

“It’s a very tight-knit group,” Reed said. “We’ve definitely gotten to see each other at a couple games and all that. I got to see most of the guys at the NC State game, and they’re all doing great. We’re all excited to be teammates and brothers with one other, and I can’t wait to come in January and start working and grinding and working with this class.”

Reed is ready to make things official when he signs with Clemson in December before enrolling early in January.

“It’s gonna be an awesome three to four years,” he said. “I can’t wait, and I can’t wait to get to work and get to learn the offense and just put my head down and hopefully earn a spot.”

There’s a lot that excites Reed about going to Clemson, joining Swinney’s program and being coached on the offensive line by a former NFL O-lineman in Austin.

“Just the tradition in the program of winning, the family aspect too and life after football, and the alumni are just amazing,” he said. “Amazing people, and they’re always positive and always great to meet.”

“I love Coach Swinney, too,” Reed continued. “I would run through a wall for him. He is definitely a man of character and a man of discipline and a man of honor. So is Coach Austin, and I’m really excited about Coach Austin because he’s kind of new to the scene, but he has all that NFL knowledge and all the experience that he had at Clemson and in the NFL, so he knows how it’s going to go. So, I’m excited for all that, too.”

Reed is ranked as a top-150 national prospect by Rivals, which considers him the nation’s No. 14 offensive tackle and No. 147 overall prospect in the 2023 class.

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Big-time Peach State lineman high on Clemson after latest visit

It’s no secret that Parkview (Lilburn, Ga.) offensive lineman Cortez Smith is a fan of Clemson. The 6-foot-4, 295-pound sophomore in the class of 2025 was on campus for Clemson’s 48-20 win over Louisiana Tech on Saturday, Sept. 17, along with two of …

It’s no secret that Parkview (Lilburn, Ga.) offensive lineman Cortez Smith is a fan of Clemson. 

The 6-foot-4, 295-pound sophomore in the class of 2025 was on campus for Clemson’s 48-20 win over Louisiana Tech on Saturday, Sept. 17, along with two of his teammates — one of them being a five-star athlete in Mike Matthews.

“It was amazing,” Smith told The Clemson Insider regarding his experience. “Especially the part where we got to see them run down the hill. It was so energetic. It was loud. It was a great game too. Clemson’s a great place.”

Did anything stand out about Clemson’s game-day environment?

“It’s got to be when they ran down the hill,” Smith explained “That’s the best part of the game right there. It was loud. You could just feel the energy (from the top of the hill). The whole crowd was cheering for them.”

Smith had the chance to speak with Clemson offensive line coach Thomas Austin before the game, as well as co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach Mickey Conn.

Every time Smith sees Austin, their relationship seemingly gets better. He’s quickly becoming a primary target for Clemson in the class of 2025, even if he’ll have to likely wait until next June for that offer to come. With that said, Smith plans to pay Clemson plenty of more visits in the future.

“I feel like I’ve known him forever now,” Smith said of his relationship with Austin. “I come back almost every year.”

Following his Clemson visit, Smith was in attendance for the University of Georgia’s 39-22 win over Kent State back on Sept. 24. He also made his way to Georgia Tech and was on hand for the Yellowjackets’ 23-20 win over Duke this past Saturday, Oct. 8. 

Smith, who currently holds offers from Penn State, Louisville and Pitt, is unsure what remaining visits entail, but he’s hoping to get back for another Clemson game this season.

“I’m pretty sure I’ll come back for another,” he said. “Of course, (I would come back). It was amazing.”

Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce a limited edition football and poster signed by Clemson’s Avengers.

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In-state OL, top-100 prospect can see himself playing for Tigers

A highly touted Clemson in-state offensive line target returned to Tiger Town two weekends ago. Dillon (S.C.) High School four-star tackle Josiah Thompson, a top-100 national prospect in the 2024 class, made an unofficial visit to Clemson for the …

A highly touted Clemson in-state offensive line target returned to Tiger Town two weekends ago.

Dillon (S.C.) High School four-star tackle Josiah Thompson, a top-100 national prospect in the 2024 class, made an unofficial visit to Clemson for the Tigers’ 30-20 victory over NC State on Saturday, Oct. 1.

“I really enjoyed the visit to the Clemson and NC State game,” Thompson told The Clemson Insider.

The 6-foot-6, 280-pound junior came away impressed by the environment at Death Valley during the top-10 matchup at night.

“The atmosphere was amazing,” he said, “and it’s awesome to see how much the fans have love towards the players and team.”

Thompson’s family accompanied him to Clemson, and it was their first time taking in a game there.

Dillon (S.C.) High School 2024 four-star OL Josiah Thompson during pregame Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022 at Clemson’s Memorial Stadium. Bart Boatwright/The Clemson Insider

“My dad, mom and little brother came with me,” he said. “They really enjoyed.”

Thompson, who received an offer from Clemson at the beginning of June when the Tigers began extending offers to 2024 prospects, has been able to catch up with both offensive line coach Thomas Austin and head coach Dabo Swinney.

“It has been a while since I saw coach TA in person. It was great seeing him again,” Thompson said. “I spoke with Coach Swinney on the phone later on that week after the game.”

Thompson also traveled to Clemson for a visit back on March 12 and competed at the Swinney Camp in the summer of 2021.

Where do the Tigers stand with him right now following his latest trip to campus?

“Clemson is an amazing school with amazing opportunities,” he said. “I can see myself playing for the Clemson Tigers.”

Thompson visited Georgia for its game vs. Auburn this past Saturday and is set to be in Knoxville for Tennessee’s game against Alabama this Saturday.

Georgia, Auburn and Tennessee have offered Thompson, along with schools such as South Carolina, Florida, Florida State, Kentucky, Miami, North Carolina, NC State, Notre Dame, Oklahoma and Texas A&M.

A consensus four-star prospect according to the major recruiting services, Thompson is ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the Palmetto State for the 2024 class by 247Sports, while he is ranked as high as the nation’s No. 71 overall prospect in his class by the 247Sports Composite, which considers him the No. 5 offensive tackle in the class.

Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce a limited edition football and poster signed by Clemson’s Avengers.

Now there is a new way you can support Clemson student-athletes. Purchase collectibles from Dear Old Clemson and the proceeds with go to support Clemson student-athletes. Visit Dear Old Clemson to find out how you can help!

5-star, No. 1 ranked recruit details ‘great time’ on Clemson game visit

One of the headliners among the recruits in attendance for Clemson’s top-10 showdown against NC State on Oct. 1 was a five-star offensive lineman ranked by multiple recruiting services as the nation’s No. 1 overall prospect in the 2025 class. David …

One of the headliners among the recruits in attendance for Clemson’s top-10 showdown against NC State on Oct. 1 was a five-star offensive lineman ranked by multiple recruiting services as the nation’s No. 1 overall prospect in the 2025 class.

David Sanders Jr. of Providence Day School (Charlotte, N.C.) recently went in-depth with The Clemson Insider about his experience on campus for the Tigers’ 30-20 victory over the Wolfpack at Death Valley.

It wasn’t his first time at Clemson, as he visited twice in the spring, though it was his first gameday visit there.

“The Clemson game, that was definitely a big game for me. I enjoyed myself a lot,” Sanders said. “The atmosphere with them playing NC State – it was a top-10 matchup – was really cool. That was a really cool experience. I got to experience the new LED lights in the stadium and the new scoreboard. Those two additions to the stadium really made the experience more fun.

“But overall, I had a great time. When I got to the stadium, I was able to meet all the coaches and all the players, too. … Then also they let us go to the top of the hill for the pregame for them to run down the hill. That was definitely the coolest experience ever, just to experience how steep that hill really is, because I always hear it’s steeper than it looks. … So, I enjoyed that a lot, and just the experience overall – the atmosphere, the fans, the facility – it was really cool. So, I enjoyed the whole thing.”

Sanders made the trip to Tiger Town with his parents.

“They enjoyed it a lot,” he said. “That was their third time going up to Clemson. So, we enjoyed it, and just that family atmosphere – I come from a family atmosphere, and then at Providence Day, it’s all family. So, when we go to Clemson, they treat us like that, and we enjoy that.”

Sanders, a 6-foot-7, 250-pound sophomore, cited the atmosphere and coaching staff as what stood out the most to him from the visit.

“They’re always down to earth, and every single coach came up to me and talked to me at least for a couple minutes,” he said. “So, they made me feel like a priority while I was up there, and that definitely made me feel good. But the main thing for me was just the atmosphere.”

The Tigers typically don’t offer prospects until the summer before their junior year, so according to Sanders, the coaches told him to stay patient and “trust the process” with them.

“They take their time in offering a lot of people, so their message to me was basically just wait your time and your time is really coming,” he said. “Just do what you’ve got to do in the classroom and on the field and just keep being who I am, and hopefully my time will be coming for Clemson University.”

Added Sanders: “But just getting to talk to them and just knowing how much they want me, even though they don’t offer sophomores… but they’re keeping me in the loop with the program and with the players, and every time I go up there, they just make me feel like I’m family. So, that’s always a plus for them.”

Sanders said he has also been to South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee and East Carolina recently. He’s looking to check out NC State and Georgia before season’s end but doesn’t have any visits scheduled as of now.

He intends to return to Clemson this offseason, and perhaps even again this season, in order to further his relationship with head coach Dabo Swinney and particularly offensive line coach Thomas Austin.

“I’ll try to make it up for another game if possible,” he said. “But I’ll definitely be up there a lot during the offseason for like junior day and just unofficial visits to spend more time around the program and the coaches, just to sit down and talk to them and pick their brain a little bit, see what they’re thinking.

“But I want to be around the program as much as possible so I can build that relationship with not only Coach Swinney, but Coach Austin because that’s probably who I’ll be spending my most time with, knowing that’s the offensive line coach. So, I just want to get to know him as much as possible and for us to build that relationship.”

Schools such as Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, NC State, North Carolina, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Penn State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest have offered Sanders, who is certainly high on the Tigers early in the process.

“I’ve always had a high respect for Clemson, just what they stand for as a program,” he said. “They’ve never changed for anybody, no matter if you’re a four-star or a three-star or no-star. They treat all their players that they’re recruiting the exact same, and that’s one thing I’ve always respected about them.

“So, Clemson’s definitely one of my favorite schools out there, and just getting to be around the program and know all the coaches well, that’s going to mean a lot to me. But Clemson’s definitely one of my favorite schools, for sure.”

Sanders, who is rated as a five-star prospect by the 247Sports Composite, is ranked as the No. 1 overall prospect in the country for the 2025 class by the 247Sports Composite, 247Sports and Rivals.

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4-star OL target has ‘awesome’ visit to Clemson

One of Clemson’s top offensive linemen targets in the 2024 recruiting class returned to Tiger Town last weekend. After unofficially visiting back in June when he first picked up an offer from the Tigers, Tuscarora (Leesburg, Va.) four-star offensive …

One of Clemson’s top offensive linemen targets in the 2024 recruiting class returned to Tiger Town last weekend. 

After unofficially visiting back in June when he first picked up an offer from the Tigers, Tuscarora (Leesburg, Va.) four-star offensive tackle Fletcher Westphal was back on campus for Clemson’s 30-20 victory over NC State at Death Valley on Saturday night.

Westphal, who was among the many top prospects in attendance for Clemson’s top-10 win, was originally supposed to visit for the Louisville game on Nov. 12 but elected to travel down to Clemson this past weekend instead.

He later told The Clemson Insider that while he was planning for a November visit, he was “definitely glad” that he made this game.

“It was awesome,” Westphal said regarding his first Clemson gameday experience. “I got there early and they toured me around the campus and I could see the fans already set up at 1:30 p.m. tailgating. The excitement was already building that early. It just kept building closer until it got to game time.

“I got to meet the team at the top of the hill at the rock before they enter the field before the game. That was crazy. One of my friends saw me on TV in the crowd.”

Did anything about Clemson’s game day atmosphere stand out to Westphal?

“At the end of the game, the fans ran to the field and everyone sang the Clemson school song,” he said. “I never saw that before any college I visited. (I) enjoyed seeing the team in action on the field and watching the coaches in person. The athleticism and physicality of the Tigers overpowered NC State.”

Westphal also got to spend a good amount of time with both offensive line coach Thomas Austin and offensive player development coach Tyrone Crowder, which he said he didn’t exactly expect to happen.

“Coach Austin wanted to know about my season and the game I had Friday night,” Westphal said regarding what he heard from Clemson’s offensive line coach. “(He) wanted to see how I was playing and how I felt about playing both defense and offense this season. He also gave me a tour of the 100 Yards of Wellness, which was really nice. He seemed calm and ready for game time.”

Westphal made coming to the Clemson game a priority, even though he had an 8-hour trip from Virginia after his Friday night game.

“I think that meant a lot to Coach Austin,” he said.

As far as other visits are concerned, Westphal confirmed his plans to be in attendance for the Michigan State-Ohio State game this Saturday, Oct. 8. Next Saturday, Oct. 15, he plans to be at the Virginia Tech-Miami game in Blacksburg.

Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce a limited edition football and poster signed by Clemson’s Avengers.

Now there is a new way you can support Clemson student-athletes. Purchase collectibles from Dear Old Clemson and the proceeds with go to support Clemson student-athletes. Visit Dear Old Clemson to find out how you can help!

First Clemson gameday visit going to be hard to top for rising Alabama lineman

A fast-rising offensive lineman from the Yellowhammer State traveled to Tiger Town for an unofficial visit earlier this month. Daphne (Ala.) Bayside Academy junior Graham Uter – a 6-foot-5, 275-pound prospect in the class of 2024 – made his way to …

A fast-rising offensive lineman from the Yellowhammer State traveled to Tiger Town for an unofficial visit earlier this month.

Daphne (Ala.) Bayside Academy junior Graham Uter — a 6-foot-5, 275-pound prospect in the class of 2024 — made his way to Clemson for the Louisiana Tech game on Saturday, Sept. 17.

“It was really cool to get to meet all the coaches,” Uter told The Clemson Insider in a phone interview recently. “Especially getting to know Coach (Thomas) Austin and Coach (Brandon) Thomas more. The facilities were really cool. It’s probably one of the best facilities I’ve ever seen. The campus was awesome.”

Uter got to eat a pregame meal with Clemson’s offensive line coach and Thomas, who is currently a graduate assistant on Dabo Swinney’s staff. Uter said that they discussed his recruiting stage, how it’s all going to work from here on out and what they’re recruiting him for. 

“For sure,” Uter said when asked if he felt like he strengthened his relationship with Clemson’s staff. “I got to have pretty long conversations with them during the pregame time. Coach Brandon Thomas actually took me around on a tour of the facilities and we met up with Coach Austin.”

According to Uter, both Austin and Thomas showed him how they run the offensive linemen at Clemson. He got to know both coaches pretty well and even got to meet Austin’s kids and his family, which Uter said was “pretty cool.”

Following the pregame festivities with the coaching staff, Uter finally got to experience his first college football game day visit.

“It’s cool to see how the fans all love Clemson,” Uter said of the gameday atmosphere in The Valley. “They’re all fans and nice people up there. It was cool to see how the players, whenever they were warming up, how locked in and focused they were. How important it is to all these coaches — they were all getting hyped and getting their players ready to play.”

Needless to say, his first experience in The Valley set the bar relatively high. 

“I feel like it’s gonna be hard to top that,” he said. “That was one of the cooler experiences in my life. I definitely want to go back this spring and tour the campus more. That would be cool.”

As far as other visits are concerned, Uter is trying to line up gameday visits to Troy and UAB, but right now, he’s focused on Friday nights and an important junior season

“It’s pretty much more local stuff,” Uter said in regards to taking potential visits. “Clemson’s just one of my favorite schools that I’ve been to. It’s an immediate yes whenever they ask me to come for a game day visit.”

Uter feels like he’s “definitely” on Clemson’s recruiting board and that the Tigers will continue to evaluate him as he continues to progress throughout his junior season.

“They told me that if I get some good game film out and I keep doing what they want to see, they’re gonna get me back up there in the spring and I’ll come around the campus on the golf cart and stuff like that,” he said. “That’s what Coach Thomas Austin told me.”

Since Sept. 1, Uter has heard from programs like Troy, UAB and Memphis, in addition to Clemson. He mentioned that a couple of other schools have called his head coach and notified him that they would be recruiting Uter going forward.

Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce a limited edition football and poster signed by Clemson’s Avengers.

Now there is a new way you can support Clemson student-athletes. Purchase collectibles from Dear Old Clemson and the proceeds with go to support Clemson student-athletes. Visit Dear Old Clemson to find out how you can help!

In-state OL very impressed by first gameday visit to Clemson

An in-state offensive lineman, garnering interest from several FBS programs, made his first-ever gameday visit to Clemson for the Tigers’ 48-20 win over Louisiana Tech on Saturday, Sept. 17. Steven O’Dell wasn’t sure what the experience at Death …

An in-state offensive lineman, garnering interest from several FBS programs, made his first-ever gameday visit to Clemson for the Tigers’ 48-20 win over Louisiana Tech on Saturday, Sept. 17.

Steven O’Dell wasn’t sure what the experience at Death Valley would be like, but the 6-foot-6, 290-pound junior from Broome High School (Spartanburg, S.C.) certainly wasn’t disappointed.

“I loved the visit. It went great,” he told The Clemson Insider. “I had never been to a Clemson game before, so I didn’t know what to expect. It was one of the craziest game atmospheres I’ve ever been in.”

O’Dell, who participated in the Dabo Swinney Camp back on June 1, said the highlight of the gameday visit was getting to speak with Clemson coaches in person again – as well as being able to go into the locker room following the Tigers’ victory over the Bulldogs.

“Everybody was getting hype and the energy was crazy,” he said. “We also got to listen to Coach Swinney’s postgame speech, which was cool.”

O’Dell had the chance to spend time with a few members of Clemson’s staff while he was on campus, including offensive line coach Thomas Austin.

“I got to talk with Coach Austin and the two assistant OL coaches,” he said. “We got to talk about how the season has been going for them and for me.”

“I feel like Clemson likes me and will continue to keep recruiting me,” O’Dell added.

Along with Clemson, O’Dell said he’s drawing interest from UNC Charlotte, Appalachian State, Coastal Carolina, Middle Tennessee and Wofford.

The class of 2024 prospect, who has a family tie to Clemson, is keeping his fingers crossed for a potential future offer from the Tigers.

“I always kept up with Clemson while I was younger. My great grandpa went there,” he said. “It would be such an honor to receive an offer from Clemson. That’s pretty much as big time as you can get.”

O’Dell visited UNC Charlotte the weekend before his Clemson visit and went to App State this past weekend. He is set to visit Coastal Carolina this weekend.

Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce a limited edition football and poster signed by Clemson’s Avengers.

Now there is a new way you can support Clemson student-athletes. Purchase collectibles from Dear Old Clemson and the proceeds with go to support Clemson student-athletes. Visit Dear Old Clemson to find out how you can help!

Big Georgia OL ‘loved every second’ of Clemson visit, explains why it’s a ‘dream’ school

Clemson recently played host to this big Peach State offensive lineman with 20 scholarship offers under his belt. Gabriel Fortson of North Cobb Christian School (Kennesaw, Ga.) – a 6-foot-4, 300-pound senior in the class of 2023 – made an unofficial …

Clemson recently played host to this big Peach State offensive lineman with 20 scholarship offers under his belt.

Gabriel Fortson of North Cobb Christian School (Kennesaw, Ga.) – a 6-foot-4, 300-pound senior in the class of 2023 – made an unofficial visit to campus for the Louisiana Tech game on Sept. 17.

“It was great,” he said to The Clemson Insider. “I loved every second of it.”

It wasn’t Fortson’s first gameday visit to Clemson, though it was his first for a night game at Death Valley.

“The new lights and the new jumbotron that they have, they just recently put up, was really nice,” he said. “It was great. There’s a Tiger on top of it, and that was pretty cool to me personally. But all in all, it was really cool. The stadium was packed out, and you could barely even hear yourself think.”

Fortson made the trip to Tiger Town with his mother, who is very fond of Clemson as well.

“She loves it,” he said. “She loves it about just as much as I do.”

While on campus, they were able to talk a lot with Tigers offensive line coach Thomas Austin, who invited Fortson to attend the game.

“I feel like he got to know me and my mom pretty well,” Fortson said.

Austin explained to Fortson where he stands with Clemson in the recruiting process as far as a potential offer from the Tigers.

Clemson is currently full on the offensive line in its 2023 recruiting class, with three OL commitments on board, but an offer to Fortson isn’t out of the question depending on certain circumstances.

“They’re waiting on a few things, but if those few things happen, then I’ll be one of the first to end up with an offer there,” he said.

Fortson owns offers from schools such as Georgia Tech, North Carolina, NC State, Duke, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Missouri and UCF, to name some.

An offer from the Tigers would be a dream come true for Fortson, who explained to TCI why Clemson is one of what he called his “dream schools.”

“Just the culture that they have around that football program alone is something that I look at, and it honestly makes me feel warm,” he said. “That’s exactly what I want in a school. If I’m going to spend four years there, I want to feel like I’m a part of the family and not just the player on their team, and Clemson does that really well.”

Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce a limited edition football and poster signed by Clemson’s Avengers.

Now there is a new way you can support Clemson student-athletes. Purchase collectibles from Dear Old Clemson and the proceeds with go to support Clemson student-athletes. Visit Dear Old Clemson to find out how you can help!