Last week, a local prospect made his return to Clemson.

Three-star offensive lineman Scottland Dover (Gaffney) was on campus last Monday after receiving an invite from the coaching staff to take in a spring practice. Dover’s dad accompanied him on the trip.

“When we got there, we toured the facilities,” Dover told The Clemson Insider. “Then we got to sit in on teams and team meetings, and then they went straight to practice.”

Dover has been committed to App State since November but says his recruitment is still “open.” He also picked up offers from Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech in recent weeks, while landing one from Florida in January. Miami, Tennessee and Kentucky have also offered.

While Dover has visited Clemson for a game in the past, getting to watch how the team practices was an experience he more than enjoyed.

“Just the intensity during practice,” Dover said. “One thing you want to see is people compete and that’s what they did the whole practice. They competed. It’s just the way that the coaches coached them up. No coach tore into anyone. Some coaches tear people down. There wasn’t a single coach that tore anybody down. All they do is lift everybody up.”

Watching offensive line coach Matt Luke’s coaching style up close and personal really stood out to the 6-foot-4, 290-pound lineman[anyclip-media thumbnail=”undefined” playlistId=”undefined” content=”dW5kZWZpbmVk”][/anyclip-media].

“He’s a great teacher,” said Dover. “The way he words things. He words it in a way that makes sure you understand what he means and what he’s saying.”

Being right down the road at Gaffney, adding an offer from the Tigers would be special.

“It would mean a lot,” Dover added. “Clemson is a really prestigious school to go to. Or just to have an offer from them.”

As Dover continues to go through the process, he is looking for the the right fit. He wants to find a school that places as much emphasis on academics as it does athletics.

” A school that is, of course, big on the school part and not just the athletic part,” Dover said. “Somewhere, I can build a relationship with the coach and continue to become a better player and a better man. I just want to keep working.”