Clemson coaches in constant contact with talented Florida lineman

Putnam poses with offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell

by Nikki Hood - Staff Writer - Jun 11, 2018, 10:18 AM

As Will Putnam’s recruitment has quietly taken shape, the Clemson coaching staff has remained in constant contact to keep the Tigers at the forefront.

The 6-4, 280-pounder out of Tampa (FL) Plant is a consensus 4-star by all of the recruiting services and is ranked as the No. 5 offensive lineman for the 2019 recruiting cycle by Rivals.

Putnam boasts 30 offers from nearly every ACC and SEC school and several schools from the Big 12 and Big 10.

Co-offensive coordinator Tony Elliott and offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell serve as Putnam’s two main recruiters and both have kept the lines of communication open.

“I definitely hear from them probably every day or every other day, so I keep in contact with them pretty regularly,” Putnam told TigerNet during a recent interview. “It's kind of a good bit of both. Their big thing is when you go to a school like Clemson you'll chase a national championship, but at the same time or even more important is that they want to make sure you have an overall very good college experience. That includes hopefully winning a national championship, which they can do and having a good college life. That's their big thing.”

Clemson drew a visit from Putnam during the spring and he said he came away impressed with the small-town vibe.

“I thought it was great. I kind of liked the atmosphere,” Putnam said. “I liked how it was a smaller college town. I really like the location. The facilities there are definitely top notch. I talked to some of the offensive linemen and they seem like great guys themselves and people who I could relate with on and off the field. I had a good time.”

While Clemson is near the top of Putnam’s list, he said there’s still a long way to go in his recruitment.

“Clemson is a school that I'm very interested in right now. I don't really have a top-five but they would definitely fall into that category, he said. “It's definitely a school that I want to continue to keep in contact with and go from there.

“I’m definitely still kind of looking at and trying to plan along with my high school schedule to maybe squeeze in a visit this summer. I'd like to make it back up to campus sometime and definitely before I make a decision. I'm still trying to decide if I want to make a decision before the season or more into the fall. It's whenever I feel ready. I don't want to rush it or drag it on.”

As for which position Putnam will play in college, he said he’s totally open.

“It's kind of whatever fits best - either guard or tackle,” he said. “Some people have me as a guard and some people have me as a tackle. I don't really care, so I'm pretty open to either one.”