Top 10 guard has Clemson in top two

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Mon May 07 13:33:50 GMT-04:00 2012

The Clemson Tigers and the Florida St. Seminoles are once again doing battle, this time for the services of Austin Droogsma Austin Droogsma
Offensive Guard
6-3, 310
Gulf Breeze, FL
View Full Profile , the No. 10-rated offensive guard in the nation who told TigerNet Sunday afternoon that his top two choices at this point are the ACC Atlantic Division rivals.

“It is definitely Clemson and FSU,” Droogsma said. “Everyone else is kind of iffy right now. I am going to go to a couple of camps this summer – try and get up to Clemson, go down to FSU, Florida, Alabama, Auburn and maybe over to Miss. St. But Clemson and FSU are definitely my top two.”

The 6-3, 305-pound Gulf Breeze (FL) standout said that both schools have an attraction for him.

“At Florida St., the connection there is really strong,” he said. “My dad threw discus there, and he is an alum, so I was brought up around FSU. As soon as that offer came in, I was like, ‘Wow, that is really cool.’ I love FSU, it’s awesome over there. I love going to Tallahassee and watching games and being in that atmosphere.”

He then said he loves the fact that he feels at home at Clemson.

“At Clemson, you have that down-home feeling that you get, and everybody is so tight-knit there,” he said. “You just feel like you are at home when you get there, and you feel so welcomed. It’s like going to your grandma’s house because you are around family and the people you love. I love Coach [Chad] Morris, and Coach [Danny] Pearman is a heck of a guy.”

Pearman is the recruiter of record for Droogsma, but Morris also checks in on Droogsma.

“The bond is really strong with those guys,” he said. “Coach Morris is a really straightforward guy, and he will tell you like it is, which I really appreciate. Coach Morris doesn’t hold anything back, and I really like that about him. The biggest thing that he has stressed to me is that he just wants me to make the right decision. He said if I commit somewhere else, he won't be offended by it. At the end of the day, he just wants me to be happy.”

Droogsma said Morris has told him that he fits the mold of what Morris is looking for in an offensive lineman, and that he projects to play guard on the next level.

“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.”