Clemson already owns a couple of offensive line commitments for the 2022 class and could potentially take one more O-lineman in the class as an oversign.
But looking ahead to the 2023 class, one prominent O-line prospect to keep an eye on is four-star Monroe Freeling of Oceanside Collegiate Academy in Mount Pleasant, S.C.
Originally from Oregon, Freeling (6-7, 275) moved to the Palmetto State in 2016 and has not yet made a visit to Clemson, though he is firmly on the Tigers’ radar and could emerge as a prime target for them in the next recruiting cycle.
“I have not been up there quite yet, but my coach has let me know that they are interested,” Freeling told The Clemson Insider recently.
Although Freeling hasn’t stepped foot on campus to date, that figures to change this summer as he is planning to check out a bunch of schools in the region following the conclusion of the NCAA dead period May 31.
“I’m sure that they will be on my list,” he said of visiting Clemson.
Because he has only lived in the Palmetto State since he was in middle school, Freeling didn’t grow up rooting for either Clemson or South Carolina.
However, while Freeling isn’t very familiar with Clemson, he has paid attention to the Tigers since he arrived in state and certainly taken notice of what Dabo Swinney’s program has been able to accomplish on the field in recent years.
“I’ve seen what they’ve done on TV; it’s impressive for sure,” he said. “As far as knowledge about the program, I’m pretty neutral. I’ve lived in South Carolina for around five years now and have never made the trip up to Clemson. It’s really new to me.”
A top-50 national prospect in the 2023 class, Freeling has accumulated around 15 offers with schools such as Notre Dame, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida State, Michigan, Penn State and Oregon comprising his list of college opportunities.
“So far, it’s been going great,” he said of the recruiting process. “I’m extremely grateful for the offers I have received already and am excited to continue the process.”
One program has been standing out to Freeling because of how much interest it is showing early in the process.
“As of right now, Notre Dame has shown the most love,” he said. “We’ve been in contact on a weekly basis. I’ve kept in touch with a few other schools as well.”
With that said, Freeling doesn’t claim any favorites in his recruitment at this point, but he has plenty of respect for Clemson and would be grateful if he gets an offer from the Tigers moving forward.
“Obviously as one of the premier programs in the country, it would be an honor,” he said.
Freeling is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 2 prospect in the state of South Carolina, No. 3 offensive tackle nationally and No. 43 overall prospect for the 2023 class.
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