Cavin Bates is planning to return to Clemson in the fall.

The three-star defensive tackle out of Cleburne County (AL) is no stranger to Clemson, seeing as he’s been attending camp for years now.

Bates’ most recent camp appearance came in June.

“We were in defensive line drills, and Coach Dabo came over there and pulled me out,” Bates recently told The Clemson Insider. “He said, ‘You are a class of ’28 right?’ He said, ‘ Your uncle coaches at Oklahoma, right?’ I said, ‘Yes, sir.’ Then he said, ‘You are going to be our fifth offer right here because you are the best D-tackle here.’ He kept coming up to me in one-on-ones, and I had a few more words with him.”

The 6-foot-2, 280-pounder is the nephew of Todd Bates, who spent some time on Dabo Swinney’s staff as defensive tackles coach. He is now in the same role on Brent Venables’ staff at Oklahoma.

While Bates has yet to set a date for his next visit, he told TCI over the weekend that he was “absolutely” planning to make a stop in Clemson at some point during the coming season.

Georgia Tech and NC State represent a couple of his other offers, with North Carolina and Florida State both now showing some interest, as well.