Over the past year or so, Carter Mathis has quietly kept plugging away, putting in the work.

The 2027 offensive lineman, out of Gainesville High School (GA), has worked out at countless camps the past two summers, patiently waiting for that hard work to pay off.

“Just been going to camps and workouts and you just don’t get a break,” Mathis told The Clemson Insider. “Work out three days a week with Gainesville and fill the other days with as many camps as you can get to and I have gotten a couple of offers from some big schools.”

That patience is now starting to pay off. Mathis has attended two different camps at Georgia this month, and last week, earned what is without question his biggest offer to date.

“I was really excited because I went up there for the first camp of the year, June 1,” Mathis said. “I had a really good camp. I went 5-2 in one-on-ones. I went back up there last Wednesday, had another really good camp, and they pulled me out after the camp and offered me. It was a surreal experience, something that I am blessed to say that I have a Georgia offer.”

Mathis also camped at NC State over the weekend, earning an offer from the Wolfpack, as well. He now has more than a dozen in total, including Auburn, who became his first Power-4 offer last year. South Florida, Liberty and Coastal Carolina have also offered in recent weeks. He nabbed the one from Liberty at the Georgia camp.

Mathis also camped in Clemson, his second consecutive summer making a stop in the Upstate. While he was pleased with his performance, he also readily admits that due to the heat, his busy schedule caught up with him a little that day.

“It was good, but it was a difficult experience,” Mathis said. “I had a Georgia camp on Sunday, then Gainesville practices on Monday and Tuesday, then the Clemson camp that Wednesday. Back-to-back-to-back-to-back and during the first week of summer. It was strenuous.”

However, Mathis did what all good players do. He pushed through and persevered.

“I feel like I did pretty good,” Mathis said. “My one-on-ones were a little iffy, but during the drills and stuff, I feel like I had a pretty good camp.”

Due to attending the same high school as former standout quarterback Deshaun Watson, Mathis has been a big fan of Clemson, going back almost a decade. So, an offer from the Tigers would mean a little more.

“It would mean a whole lot because growing up, I was a childhood Clemson fan because of Deshaun Watson,” Mathis said. “I was a massive Clemson fan, and I go to school in north Georgia, so everybody is a Georgia fan or the bandwagon Alabama fans. I was the oddball.”

Standing 6-foot-7 and already weighing close to 300 pounds, Mathis is a towering prospect. His bright red hair makes him even easier to spot, while also earning him the nickname “Big Red.”

Now that he has the offer from Georgia, more are undoubtedly sure to follow. His recruitment could be on the verge of blowing up.

Either way, Mathis is determined to take it slow. He is in no rush to make a decision. He plans to take some game day visits in the fall, more in the spring, then official visits next summer, before even getting to that point.

“I am looking for a school that really cares as much about me as I care about them,” Mathes said. “Coaches who will appreciate me, what I bring to the table and not just see me as an athlete. I want to build a connection with the coaching staff. And a school with a prestigious education. The better your diploma looks, the better the opportunities you will have once you graduate.”