Among the offensive line prospects that Clemson hosted for the program’s elite junior day this past Saturday was Gavin Blanchard (pictured second from left).
The Clemson Insider caught up with the class of 2025 recruit from Jesuit High School (Tampa, Fla.) about his junior day experience.
“What stood out to me were the people there, the staff specifically,” Blanchard said. “Clemson felt different simply because the people are real.”
Blanchard (6-3, 300) was accompanied on the visit by his father.
“He loved the place and the people,” Blanchard said. “He thinks the staff is great.”
In addition to spending time with Clemson’s staff, Blanchard enjoyed interacting with other line prospects that the Tigers brought in for elite junior day.
“All of the OL and DL recruits that I was around were really cool,” he said. “And I hope to have the honor of playing with them or against them at the next level!”
Blanchard has camped at Clemson multiple times and also traveled to Tiger Town for the Florida State and Notre Dame games during the 2023 season. He had been communicating frequently with the Tigers and new offensive line coach Matt Luke leading up to the elite junior day visit.
According to Blanchard, although he doesn’t currently have an offer from Clemson, the Tigers are certainly interested in him.
“The message is they want me,” Blanchard said of what he heard from the coaches during elite junior day. “They are great men and that’s what makes them so great of coaches. I just have to handle some stuff on my side before they can give me an offer.”
Blanchard’s offer list currently includes Louisville, TCU, Indiana, Purdue, UAB, Middle Tennessee State, UCF and USF.
He’s working to earn an offer from Clemson and made it clear that an offer from the Tigers would be huge for him.
“I just have to handle some stuff on my side before I get the offer but when I do, it will mean the world,” he said. “Clemson is my dream school.”
Blanchard has a tie to the Tigers, as his high school teammate, linebacker Drew Woodaz, signed with Clemson in December and will enroll this summer.