A big Mississippi lineman, who has been drawing interest from Clemson, traveled to Tiger Town for the first time earlier this month.

Nanih Waiya High School (Louisville, Miss.) class of 2026 offensive tackle Grant Kitchens attended the Dabo Swinney Football Camp on June 4.

The 6-foot-8, 308-pound rising junior came away very impressed after the camp visit and his first experience on campus.

“I liked it a lot. The campus is nice. The coaches, they were really nice to me, they welcomed me with open arms. So, it was great,” Kitchens told The Clemson Insider.

“It’s nice. It’s definitely one of the nicest places I’ve seen in person,” he added. “Just overall, it’s a nice place, really good people. I felt like I was welcomed there.”

Clemson offensive line coach Matt Luke stopped by Kitchens’ school to see him this spring and has expressed interest in Kitchens, conveying that Clemson’s staff likes his film and size and wanted to see him work out in person at camp.

Kitchens said he received positive feedback about his camp showing from Luke.

“Coach Luke told me that they don’t really offer a lot of kids because they want to make sure that it’s the right fit for them, and I understand that,” Kitchens said. “So, hoping here pretty soon, within the next couple months, I’ll maybe get an offer from Clemson. But I liked it a lot, and Coach Luke told me to keep working and the main thing I needed to work on is just keeping square, and other than that, I looked great.”

Kitchens feels a connection with Luke, a Mississippi native and former Georgia assistant and Ole Miss head coach who is entering his first full season as Clemson’s O-line coach in 2024.

“I like him a lot,” Kitchens said. “He’s from Mississippi, so he kind of grew up where I’m from. So, that kind of gives me a connection with him that I can’t really have with most coaches.”

Kitchens has also recently camped at Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Auburn, with camp visits to LSU, Alabama and Georgia on his schedule as well.

Kitchens collected his first offer from Mississippi State in January and figures to garner more and more attention as he continues going through the recruiting process.

Kitchens hopes to return to Clemson in the fall for a gameday visit, and he would be honored to receive an offer from the Tigers down the road.

“It would mean a lot because I know that’s a really good program,” he said. “They’ve had a good history of winning. So, it would mean a lot coming from someplace that’s not that close to home, but knowing that they know about me and think I’m good enough to get an offer from them, it would mean a lot.”

–Photo courtesy of Grant Kitchens 

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