A priority Clemson offensive line target from the Palmetto State will soon return to Tiger Town.
Oceanside Collegiate Academy (Mount Pleasant, S.C.) four-star Monroe Freeling – the Palmetto State’s No. 1 prospect and a top-100 national prospect in the 2023 class, per the 247Sports Composite rankings – plans to be at the Tigers’ junior day March 5.
It will mark his first visit to Clemson since attending the Florida State game in late October of last year. He was also on campus last June to participate in the Dabo Swinney Camp, after which he picked up an offer from the Tigers.
“I’m excited,” Freeling said of the upcoming junior day visit in a recent interview with The Clemson Insider. “I’m excited to get up there, especially with all the (coaching) changes that have happened since the last time I went there.”
Freeling (6-7, 287) looks forward to experiencing Clemson again – but this time around the Tigers’ new-look coaching staff, which now features Brandon Streeter in the offensive coordinator role as Tony Elliott’s replacement, and Wes Goodwin and Mickey Conn as co-defensive coordinators in place of the departed Brent Venables.
“I think it’s just to feel the difference between the culture then and now, because they lost Coach Elliott and Venables,” Freeling said when asked what he hopes to get out of the upcoming visit. “So, it will be interesting to see how the culture has changed, because those are two important coordinators that were essential to their staff the past couple of years. So, I just want to see how everything’s doing right now, really.”
The March junior day visit will also give Freeling another opportunity to build upon his bond with Thomas Austin.
Freeling hung out with Austin after the FSU game and really got to know him, and their relationship has only kept growing since Austin took over for Robbie Caldwell as Clemson’s offensive line coach. Freeling estimated that he communicates with Austin every week and a half or so, and he wants to work out with Austin at the Dabo Swinney Camp this summer so he can get a taste of what it would be like to have Austin as a coach.
“I think he’s a great person. I really like him,” Freeling said. “I like hanging out with him, I liked his vibe. I probably want to get up to another camp this summer, just so I can feel what it’s like to be coached under him a little bit. Because I remember the first time I went up for their camp, I wasn’t really sure who he was at the time, and then I got to know him. And now that I do know him, it will be interesting to see the coaching side from actually knowing him as a person first.”
What is the overarching message that Austin has conveyed to Freeling during their conversations?
“I’m just their number one guy for offensive line at least, and that they really want me,” Freeling said.
“It feels good,” he added of hearing that from Austin. “It does feel good to know that the home state loves me a lot.”
During the season, Freeling made visits to North Carolina, Georgia, South Carolina and Notre Dame, in addition to Clemson. He hasn’t been able to check out any schools since the college football season ended due to his high school basketball schedule, but he’s looking to visit schools such as Notre Dame, Miami, Florida, Michigan and Penn State this offseason. He also hopes to make a West Coast swing this spring to schools like Oregon, Stanford and Southern Cal.
Along with Clemson, which is clearly hard after Freeling, he named Miami and Notre Dame as a couple of schools that have been pursuing him most heavily.
Freeling feels it’s too early for him to release a top schools list, though he wants to narrow things down in his head soon.
As for Freeling’s commitment timeline, he doesn’t have a firm date in mind and is simply trying to take the process slowly right now.
“I think for me it’s just when I know, I’ll know,” he said. “Because I’ll get to the decision eventually, I just don’t want to really restrict myself. I can give myself a deadline, but I kind of want to go slow through it and really figure out where I really want to go and really feel like I’m a fit at.”
A few factors will play a prominent role in Freeling’s decision-making process as he weighs his college choices.
“I think number one for me is development and academics,” he said. “Because football is not for long. That’s what NFL stands for. … As good as I am now, I want to be the best, so I want to be developed to be the best. Again, football’s not for long, and I work so hard in school right now to get good grades. So, I think they should pay off at a school that provides those opportunities. And lastly is probably just the culture and the feel of the school.”
Along with Clemson, Freeling’s offer list features Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Michigan, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Oregon, Penn State, South Carolina, Stanford, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Virginia among others.
Where do the Tigers stand in his recruitment heading into next month’s visit?
“I’d say they stand highly,” he said. “I really loved the culture there when I first went up and I’ve been maintaining a good relationship with Coach Austin, and I’m just looking forward to growing it some more when I get out there.”
According to the 247Sports Composite rankings, Freeling is the No. 1 prospect in South Carolina, No. 9 offensive tackle nationally and No. 93 overall prospect for the 2023 class.
Clemson Variety & Frame is doing their part to help bring you some classic new barware and help one of the local businesses that helps make Clemson special.
Order your Nick’s barware and do your part to help. #SaveNicks
