Top offensive tackle recruits in the state face a choice: South Carolina or Clemson?
In recent years, in-state recruiting battles between the Clemson and South Carolina football programs have been few and far between. Three 2024 recruits are changing that.
As Clemson and South Carolina both put the finishing touches on their 2023 signing classes and look forward to the next cycle, three rising seniors at one of the sport’s premiere positions — offensive tackle — are coming into focus for Tiger and Gamecock coaching staffs alike.
Class of 2024 recruits Kam Pringle, Josiah Thompson and Blake Franks all play for different high schools and boast different skill sets, but they have these three things in common:
They’re highly coveted and highly targeted in-state recruits.
They’re weighing offers from Clemson and South Carolina.
They’re currently projected to end up at one or the other.
In a state with two Power Five football programs but a smaller total population than the Atlanta metro area, rarely do all of those factors align.
Clemson and South Carolina usually go head to head for one — maybe two — in-state recruits per cycle, such as four-star Dorman offensive lineman Markee Anderson (USC) in the Class of 2023 and four-star Dutch Fork receiver Antonio Williams (Clemson) in the Class of 2022.
This year, it could be three — and early indications are that coach Shane Beamer’s Gamecocks have the upper hand on coach Dabo Swinney’s Tigers.
Here’s a closer look at each recruitment.
4-star OT Kam Pringle, Woodland
For the second consecutive cycle, an offensive tackle is the No. 1 prospect in the state. Following in the footsteps of Georgia signee Monroe Freeling, Pringle ranks as the top player in South Carolina. He’s also the No. 1 tackle in his class, per the 247Sports Composite that factors in multiple sites’ rankings.
Pringle – who’s listed at 6-foot-7 and 330 pounds and helped Woodland to an 11-2 record last year – included Clemson and South Carolina in his top six last week. Florida, Georgia, N.C. State and Tennessee are also finalists for the No. 46 recruit in the country.
Both programs have pitched Pringle on development and early playing time, he told SportsTalkSC. Left tackle Jordan McFadden arrived at Clemson as the No. 819 recruit in his class and left as winner of the ACC’s Jacobs Blocking Trophy.
And South Carolina’s upward trajectory under Beamer (who just got a massive pay raise) is clear. Pringle currently holds two 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions to select USC and will be announcing his commitment on Jan. 22.
That’s one day after USC’s scheduled Jan. 21 on-campus “junior day” for recruits.
4-star OT Josiah Thompson, Dillon
Thompson, listed at 6-6 and 280 pounds, isn’t far behind Pringle in the rankings. 247Sports deems him the No. 2 player in the state, the No. 5 tackle in the class and the No. 58 overall recruit nationally in the class.
247Sports national recruiting analyst Brian Dohn wrote in a scouting report that Thompson had “multi-year starter and cornerstone left tackle possibilities for Top 20 program,” as well as “mid-round NFL draft potential.”
Thompson, who also plays varsity basketball, recently trimmed his list down to nine schools: Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee. He currently holds four Crystal Ball predictions to choose the Gamecocks.
But the most recent of those came last summer, and Thompson’s planning to give both in-state programs another look soon. Per Clemson247, Thompson will attend junior day recruiting events for South Carolina and Clemson on consecutive weekends to end the month.
3-star OT Blake Franks, Greenville Senior
The third tackle on this list, Franks, ranks a bit lower than his counterparts. He’s No. 7 in the state, No. 32 at his position and No. 413 nationally.
But that hasn’t stopped Power Five programs from flocking toward the 6-5, 310-pound junior. Franks’ current list of top eight schools, as of last October: South Carolina, Florida, Clemson, Ole Miss, UNC, Miami, Alabama and Florida State.
Franks visited Clemson four times during the 2022 season and South Carolina twice, per a Clemson247 report, and has settled on announcing a commitment in early February.
The Tigers are the leader here with four Crystal Ball predictions to land Franks, including one from a national analyst. Outside of proximity, Clemson also boasts familiarity. Collin Sadler, Franks’ former Greenville teammate, just finished his freshman season there.
