USC offers big Peach State tackle

Gainesville (Ga.) offensive lineman Nick Claytor is one of the best overall prospects in the Peach State, and the offers are starting to pile up for the 6-foot-6, 315-pound star.

"I think I'm up to 14 offers now with South Carolina, North Carolina and Kentucky offering me last week," Claytor said. "Some of the other schools that have offered me are Auburn, LSU, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Maryland and Vandy."

Claytor, who bench presses 300 pounds, traveled to Auburn this spring and liked what he found.

"Auburn signed a top-10 class last year, and I think they're going to get another one this year once everyone commits," he said. "They definitely have a chance to play for a national championship in the next few years. I got the chance to meet their coaches at their spring game, and they are real down to earth people. I'm looking forward to camping there this summer."

LSU is trying to lure Claytor to the Bayou.

"I haven't been to visit LSU yet, but I've heard great things about their game day atmosphere and everything. I've heard they have a real tiger out there for the other team to see, and that's crazy. I might camp there this summer to see what everything is like there."

Claytor might also make the trip to Clemson this summer.

"I'm thinking about camping at Clemson, but I don't know the dates or anything yet. I know they just spent a couple million dollars on some new facilities, and they signed that great running back last year (C.J. Spiller). I know that shocked a lot of people when they got him, so that was pretty big."

The South Carolina Gamecocks are one of the latest teams to throw their hat in the ring for Claytor's services.

"They just offered me last week, so I'm just getting acquainted with South Carolina. Coach (Ron) Cooper offered me. I know they have Steve Spurrier as their coach now, but I still have to do more research on them before I'll know if they're a fit for me."

Claytor will determine which school is best for him based on several factors.

"I definitely want to play for a winning team, at least a team that's going to win while I'm there. I also want to get a degree from a school where the degree means something. The other big thing for me is who's coming in with me. I want to bring a lot of great players with me."

Claytor remains wide open.

"I'm getting a lot of attention right now, so I'm not shutting any doors with any teams. I'd like to make my decision sometime during my season, so my visits this summer will be real big for me."

Give GamecockCentral.com a try. Click here to take advantage of our 7-Day Free Trial and get IN-DEPTH COVERAGE of Gamecock football and recruiting.

To discuss this article, visit FGF (our free forum) or The Insiders Forum (our premium forum).