Florida OL down to Tigers and Noles

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Mon Jun 25 16:53:02 GMT-04:00 2012

The battle between Florida St. and Clemson is on.

Not the football game that will be played in Tallahassee in late September between the Atlantic Division rivals, but the battle for the services of one of the best offensive linemen in the Sunshine State.

Austin Droogsma Austin Droogsma
Offensive Guard
6-3, 310
Gulf Breeze, FL
View Full Profile is a 6-4, 305-pound offensive guard from Gulf Breeze (FL), a 3-star prospect who says that his college choice is now down to two schools.

“Clemson is sitting pretty good right now,” Droogsma told TigerNet this week. “They are fighting with FSU right now for first and second. It is always flip-flopping back and forth. The decision is going to be tough. I know I still need more time to make a decision, but I will know before the end of football season.”

Droogsma is rated as the 16th-best guard in the nation by Rivals, and has offers from the Tigers, the Noles, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Memphis, Mississippi St. and South Florida.

Two weeks ago, he made the trip to Clemson with teammate Alex Pagonis Alex Pagonis
Offensive Guard
6-4, 315
Gulf Breeze, FL
View Full Profile for Dabo SwinneyDabo Swinney
Head Coach
View Full Profile ’s high school football camp, but didn’t get to work out.

“I was sick. I got really sick when I got there and came down with some 24-hour flu bug,” he said. “I woke up the day of the camp not feeling good, so I pretty much just stayed in the hotel room. I did get to go over to the camp the day before and meet with all of the coaches, and I got to watch some of the workouts.”

Droogsma said he did get a favorable message from the Clemson coaching staff.

“I talked to all of the offensive coaches, including Coach [Chad] Morris and Coach [Danny] Pearman and Coach [Robbie] Caldwell,” he said. “They just wanted me to know that they really, really want me there and that they are very interested in me. They made it clear that they want me there. “

He said that there are several things he likes about the Clemson program, but he loves how much the players and coaches like each other.

“The team and the players are really tight,” he said. “It is just this giant brotherhood. Everybody is cool with each other. There are no fights between teammates. For lack of a better term, everybody is All In.”

Droogsma said the Tigers would be getting the kind of offensive lineman that Chad Morris likes.

“I am a road grader, bulldozer, 18-wheeler, whatever you want to call it,” he said. “I am hard-nosed and I am going to hit you in the mouth. Run blocking is the best part of my game, but my pass blocking is coming along nicely. I am getting better at it. But when you get down in the trenches and you need that yard, you are generally going to run it to my side.”