The Clemson Insider recently caught up with one of the Tigers’ priority offensive line targets in the 2023 class to get the latest on his recruitment and where things stand with Clemson.
Reagan High School (Pfafftown, N.C.) four-star Sam Pendleton has continued to stay in frequent contact with offensive line coach Thomas Austin and other members of Clemson’s staff since he was on campus for the Tigers’ elite junior day in late January.
“The coaches and I have really just been talking about how I would fit into their culture,” Pendleton told TCI, “and how I would be a leader for the offense and especially the O-line.”
Pendleton (6-5, 295), who received an offer from Clemson on Jan. 14, feels his bond with the Tigers is growing stronger every day.
“With regards to our relationship, I would say it gets tighter daily,” he said. “I get calls from all the offensive coaches, letters from them, and I even FaceTime them on occasion.”
The lone offensive lineman hosted by Clemson during its elite junior day, Pendleton came away from the visit experience very impressed. It marked his first time in Tiger Town since the Dabo Swinney Camp last summer.
“The family culture amongst the players and coaches really stood out to me on my visit,” he said. “The coaches don’t see themselves as superior to the players. They respect the players just as much as the players respect them. And that is very obvious.”
Pendleton had been looking to make his commitment decision sometime between late February and the first couple weeks of March. However, the timeline has gotten a little bit hazy due to the round of visits he made last month – trips to Penn State, Tennessee, NC State, Virginia Tech and, of course, Clemson – so he is currently unsure of when his commitment will happen.
“I don’t really know about a date for a commitment right now,” he said.
According to Pendleton, he doesn’t know if he’ll return to Clemson before rendering his decision and said he doesn’t have any visits lined up at this time.
“I don’t have any more visits planned as of right now,” he said. “And I don’t know if I’ll make it back down to Clemson, and if I don’t, I’ve seen all I need to.”
On Feb. 1, Pendleton dropped a top five featuring Clemson along with Michigan, NC State, Penn State and Virginia Tech.
Where do the Tigers stand in his recruitment right now?
“The Tigers are definitely one of the schools at the top of my list,” he said.
Pendleton is ranked by Rivals as the No. 5 prospect in the state of North Carolina, No. 20 offensive tackle nationally and No. 239 overall prospect in the country for the 2023 class.
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