South Carolina gains momentum over Clemson for in-state O-line recruit

On Jan. 28, Blake Franks visited Clemson for the Elite Retreat, an all-day recruiting extravaganza reserved for the football program’s top junior targets.

The Tigers hoped that would be enough to net a commitment from Franks, a three-star 2024 offensive lineman from Greenville High School, on a planned Feb. 7 announcement date that lined up with his mother’s birthday.

But a compelling pitch from Clemson’s biggest rival is giving him pause.

As South Carolina continues to build rapport and gain momentum with Franks, the No. 7 recruit in the state said he’s holding off on a decision until later this month, if not March.

That comes on the heels of Franks, once considered a near-lock to choose Clemson, picking up four 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions late last week to commit to South Carolina. One of those predictions came from 247Sports director of football recruiting Steve Wiltfong, who has predicted commitments at an all-time rate of 91% and is 60 for 60 on his picks within the 2024 class.

On Sunday night, Franks told SportsTalkSC that Clemson and South Carolina remain his top two schools and he’s still planning on a commitment in the near future.

But “I don’t know if it will be sometime this month or next month,” he told the website. “I think I’m done with visits. I’ve seen both schools a lot. Maybe I might take another one if I don’t make a decision. I really don’t know who has the lead in my head. It’s kind of a hard decision.”

Gamecocks recruiting momentum

Clemson offered Franks a scholarship last summer and was widely considered his leader throughout the fall. He ended up visiting the Tigers four times last season and six times total in 2022, per 247Sports, and at one point was hoping to make a decision by Christmas.

But USC’s steadfastness is paying off with Franks, who ranks 31st among offensive tackles and 421st nationally per 247Sports Composite rankings. The Gamecocks hosted him for a late December visit as well as their Jan. 21 junior day, which took place a week before Clemson’s.

Top selling points for USC are Franks’ relationships with head coach Shane Beamer and new offensive line coach Lonnie Teasley, as well as the chance to build what the program’s branding as “The Great Wall of Carolina” with two other in-state 2024 offensive linemen.

USC landed a commitment from four-star Woodland High School offensive tackle Kam Pringle earlier this month and holds five Crystal Ball predictions for four-star Dillon High School offensive tackle Josiah Thompson as of Monday.

The 247Sports Composite, which factors in multiple networks’ rankings, deems Pringle and Thompson the No. 47 and No. 58 recruits in the country, respectively. Thompson has offers from Clemson and South Carolina and, like Franks, attended January junior days for both programs.

Franks’ South Carolina interest comes amid a recruiting tear for the Gamecocks, who went 8-5 last season. USC secured its best final recruiting ranking in a decade by signing five-star 2023 Washington, D.C., athlete Nyckoles Harbor on National Signing Day last week.

Harbor’s commitment bumped South Carolina up to No. 16 in the final 247Sports Composite team rankings, five spots behind No. 11 Clemson. Though it’s early, the Gamecocks also rank No. 6 in 247Sports’ 2024 team rankings with five commits (Clemson, also with five, is No. 13).

Franks’ main draws to Clemson — which went 11-3 last season — are its proximity, his relationship with offensive line coach Thomas Austin and the Tigers’ longtime status as an ACC and College Football Playoff contender under coach Dabo Swinney.

He also has current or former teammates at both schools. Clemson will roster former Greenville wide receiver Tyler Brown, tight end Josh Sapp and offensive tackle Collin Sadler next fall, while four-star 2024 Greenville wide receiver Mazeo Bennett committed to USC last week.

Franks, who projects as a guard at the college level, said he’s been hearing from Brown and Bennett — working on behalf of the Tigers and Gamecocks, respectively — as he evaluates the biggest decision of his prep career.

“I’m still hoping I’ll get it done (in February), but if it drags on longer, I guess it drags on longer,” Franks told SportsTalkSC. “It’s all in God’s plan. That’s what I’ve been saying for a while. I don’t really know what’s going to happen now or later.”