Among the standout prospects in attendance for Clemson’s spring game last Saturday was a big in-state offensive lineman in the class of 2026.
Steven Pickard Jr. of Philip Simmons High School (Charleston, S.C.) made his first recruiting trip to Tiger Town, and the 6-foot-5, 305-pound rising junior gave the visit experience high marks.
“Clemson was great!” Pickard told The Clemson Insider. “They have their own culture. It was surprisingly relaxed. The coaches and staff were all very personable and welcoming. The coaches, players, recruits and families were all hanging out together eating, talking and playing games in the football complex before the Tiger Walk.”
Pickard, who’s on the radar of a number of power conference programs, was accompanied on the visit by his father.
“He enjoyed it just as much as I did,” Pickard said.
Pickard spent most of his time on campus with offensive graduate assistant Brandon Thomas, and Pickard also had the chance to chat with offensive line coach Matt Luke.
“We had breakfast together and talked about Clemson’s football program and what they look for in prospective offensive linemen,” Pickard said of Thomas.
“Coach Luke is great!” Pickard added. “I was able to talk with him for a few minutes at breakfast and in the locker room after the game. He is very down to earth and easy to talk to. He really turned up the intensity during warmups. I like that energy in a coach, players can feel it.”
Along with Clemson, Pickard is garnering interest from schools such as Boston College, Duke, Maryland, South Carolina, Virginia and UCF. He has already visited most of those schools this spring.
Though Pickard doesn’t own any offers yet, it figures to be only a matter of time before those start coming his way.
“I just try to take in as much as possible when I visit a program and build meaningful relationships with the coaches,” he said. “The interest level and the offers will take care of themselves.”
Pickard added that receiving an offer from Clemson in the future “would mean the world” to him, especially as an in-state recruit.
“An offer from Clemson says a lot about someone as a person and an athlete,” he said. “My family is originally from Syracuse, N.Y. and moved to Charleston seven years ago. I did not grow up a Clemson fan but have been watching them consistently since our move.”
Pickard is planning to return to Clemson for the Dabo Swinney Camp in June.
–Photo courtesy of Steven Pickard Jr. on X (@StevenPickard_2)
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