By Hale McGranahan.

Luke Elder had a good first impression of Clemson.

A day after the Elite Junior Day event in January, he stopped by Tigertown for a quick visit. And even though the three-star offensive lineman from LaGrange, Georgia met with a trio of assistant coaches and picked up an offer from the Tigers, the day was a little shorter than Elder would have preferred.

So he planned to return for the March Junior Day.

“I already set that once we were there the first time. They really wanted to get me back up there so we could see it all,” Elder told TheClemsonInsider, after last Saturday’s event.

“When we first went up there, it was just a quick glimpse and we had to get back on the road and get back home to a new dog, so getting back up there was something that I looked forward to, considering I liked it a lot the first time I went.

“Really getting to see everything this time made me like it the same amount. Nothing changed, I still really like it and like what they’ve got going on up there.”

For Elder, Clemson has a lot to offer.

“The atmosphere that he has up there is something that really appeals to me, I know that. The academics, (Dabo Swinney) really puts so much of an emphasis on, I just really like all of that,” Elder said.

He also spent more time with offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell.

“Near the end, I was getting pulled off to go with some group — I don’t know where it was going, but it was not with the main group of recruits,” Elder said. “As we were walking away…coach Caldwell comes up and was like, ‘Hey, Luke. I want you to come with me.’

“(Caldwell) pulled me aside and we got some 1-on-1 time and talked football. So, I don’t know where the other meeting was going, but I was with coach Caldwell. It was great getting to be with my position coach 1-on-1 and getting to talk football with him.”

The No. 31 ranked offensive tackle in the country (247) thinks highly of the Tigers’ assistant.

“He’s real straight-forward. He’s a genuine guy. I like him a lot. He knows his stuff, he’s been coaching forever. Plus, I like him as a guy,” Elder said.

Later this spring, Elder hopes to visit Florida State, Georgia and California. While on the west coast, a trip to Oregon could be squeezed in, too. He’ll hit the road again for the summer camp circuit, so he can work with prospective offensive line coaches.

“I’m not really sure right now where I’ll be going. It’s a decision we’ll make a little further on down the road, on the camps and everything,” Elder said.