Clemson offer would ‘definitely impact’ Ohio OL’s recruitment
By: Gavin Oliver July 13, 2018

Strongsville (Ohio) offensive guard J.D. Duplain is drawing strong interest from Clemson as he closes in on his commitment decision.

The 6-foot-4, 290-pound class of 2019 prospect holds over a dozen Power Five scholarship offers and is planning to pick a school before his senior season begins, preferably by the end of this month.

Clemson began communicating with Duplain late in the spring and invited him to visit the campus, which he did on June 11.

“It was a great visit,” he said. “I got to talk with Coach (Robbie) Caldwell the entire time and he showed my father and I around the entire campus and gave a whole facility tour which was outstanding. We also got to talk to an academic staff member which also was very helpful and gave my father and I a good understanding of how everything works there.”

Duplain does not own an offer from Clemson to date, but Caldwell has indicated that the offer could be in the cards.

Clemson’s offensive line coach has remained in regular contact with Duplain since the visit, conveying the potential for an offer from the Tigers after they gain more clarity in their offensive line recruiting.

“He is very interested in me,” Duplain said. “He said they are going to take three offensive linemen this class and he wants to give the linemen he has already offered a chance to visit soon, and if he doesn’t get three then I’m next up.”

Duplain has narrowed his focus to a top three of Michigan State, Boston College and Indiana as his decision nears.

If Clemson opts to pull the trigger on an offer before he makes his commitment, it could be a game-changer and would certainly give him a lot to think about.

“It would really mean a lot to me,” Duplain said.

“It would definitely impact it,” he added in regard to his recruitment. “It would be a more difficult decision.”

Duplain is ranked as high as the No. 28 guard nationally for the 2019 class by Rivals.

In addition to his top three, he carries offers from Arkansas, Kentucky, Pittsburgh, Maryland, Minnesota, Iowa State, Missouri, Rutgers, Purdue, Vanderbilt, Virginia and Syracuse, among others.

Clemson has signed an offensive lineman from the state of Ohio in each of the last two classes, in four-star Matt Bockhorst (2017) and five-star Jackson Carman (2018).

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