Top Sunshine State lineman says Clemson coaches are reason for Tigers in top schools

Grant Wise says Matt Luke is a major factor for him.

Grayson Mann - Staff Writer - Tuesday, December 17 2024

A massive milestone was met in one Sunshine State lineman’s recruitment.

Grant Wise of Milton (FL) Pace recently announced his top 12 schools, further narrowing down his choices for his collegiate commitment.

The four-star guard posted his list on social media, and schools like Clemson, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Ohio State, and others are still competing for Wise’s services.

Wise’s criteria for his list was finding the right schools that were good fits on and off the field, with a strong foundational culture being a top priority.

Regarding the Tigers, Wise has had Dabo Swinney’s program on his radar for quite some time. He was initially offered in the summer, which included a visit to Swinney’s high school camp, where he spent time working with Matt Luke.

Wise told TigerNet in the summer that there was “something different” about Clemson. He cited the staff’s connectivity as a true positive from his experience in the Upstate.

Months later, that and much more have kept the Tigers in the race for a top guard’s commitment. Not only that but Swinney and Luke’s relationship has grown with him as well.

“I think that they're both great coaches, but they're also, they're great men,” Wise said. “Coach Swinney is probably the best coach in college football at the moment. He's really down to earth, and he's a really personable guy, but he almost doesn't make it seem like he's ahead of you. We can sit down and have a regular conversation, and it's just talking to anybody else. And then, obviously they keep in contact regularly, and I talk to them on a regular basis, so probably that's what they did to get into the list.”

Wise has also witnessed the transformation within the Clemson offensive line. He said that Luke’s work with the position group positively impacted the Tigers’ standing during recruitment.

“Definitely,” Wise said. “Coach Luke came in and turned the O-line room around. They played really good this year. They had some injuries here and there, and they had guys step up and obviously compete and play at the highest level, so they did well this year, and that's huge to me.”

His list stands at 12, but he plans to trim it down further to five or six schools after a spring that’s expected to be filled with visits. The clarity to narrow things down to this number was important for Wise to get to.

Wise plans on visiting Clemson for Junior Day on January 25th, hoping another visit can only serve to further grow an already strong relationship.