The Clemson Insider recently caught up with an elite Palmetto State offensive line prospect, who is squarely on the Tigers’ recruiting radar as a priority target in the 2024 class.
Woodland High School (Dorchester, S.C.) four-star Kam Pringle – the No. 1 recruit in the state of South Carolina, No. 2 offensive tackle nationally and No. 70 overall prospect in the 2024 class, per the 247Sports Composite rankings – has seen his recruitment crank back up during the ongoing spring evaluation period.
“It’s been going good,” he said of the recruiting process. “Of course, with coaches being able to get back on the road, my recruitment’s been heating up again lately.”
Pringle – a 6-foot-7, 315-pound rising junior – has picked up offers from Ohio State, Georgia, South Carolina, LSU, Auburn, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Kentucky, Florida, Florida State, NC State, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State and others.
Of course, Clemson typically doesn’t offer prospects until the summer before their junior year, though Pringle appears poised to add an offer from the Tigers once they start dishing out offers to prospects in the 2024 class next month.
Clemson assistant coach Mike Reed, Pringle’s area recruiter, paid a visit to his school at the beginning of the spring evaluation period, and Tigers offensive line coach Thomas Austin told Pringle that he’s making plans to see him during Woodland’s spring practice.
Pringle is in the process of building a relationship with Austin and estimates that they communicate about once a month.
“We don’t talk too often. But when we do talk, it’s normally a pretty good talk,” Pringle said.
“It’s been growing,” he added of their relationship. “He’s got some guys he’s got to make a priority in the class of ‘23. I’m still a young guy, so of course, his focus has kind of shifted a little bit with the guys he might be having coming in this fall or guys he’s trying to pull off as a recruit in the class of ‘23. So, things have been a little slow, but he’s gotta do what he’s gotta do.”
Pringle appreciates the honesty and transparency that Austin conveys during their conversations.
“Every time we talk, he tries to make sure I feel as if he’s keeping it real and not changing how things are or portraying it to be something else,” Pringle said. “So, he tries to be straightforward and as transparent as possible.”
Pringle was able to work with Austin at the Dabo Swinney Camp last summer, then had the chance to see Austin in his element when Pringle was most recently on campus March 12 to take in one of the Tigers’ spring practices.
“I think he’ll do pretty good,” Pringle said of the Tigers’ first-year offensive line coach. “Coach Austin seems like a pretty straightforward guy. I feel like he’s got a good relationship with his players, so I feel like he can get the job done and he’ll have them where they need to be.”
Pringle doubts that he’ll participate in the Swinney Camp again this year but expects to return to Clemson for another visit this summer. He’s looking to camp at a few schools and then just visit some others, and said he’s definitely planning to camp at South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama.
Pringle mentioned Auburn, Georgia, Alabama, LSU, Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio State, Michigan State and Florida as some of the schools he feels are recruiting him the hardest right now. As of now, he anticipates being committed to a school before his senior year and thinks he’ll make his decision in January or sometime at the beginning of 2023.
As for where Clemson currently stands in Pringle’s recruitment, he told TCI that the Tigers are “definitely” one of his top 10 schools right now.
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