Georgia Lineman 'Shocked' by Clemson Offer

Bear McWhorter made his return to Clemson last week.

It’s the first time the rising high school junior has visited since he was in middle school and it was a trip that proved to be beneficial for the 4-star offensive lineman, out of Cass High School (GA).

He not only got to meet offensive line coach Matt Luke for the very first time, he also picked up an offer from the Tigers.

“I was shocked, it’s a huge blessing,” McWhorter told The Clemson Insider. “Clemson is a school that I’ve always taken interest in. Keeping up with them and knowing how they do offers and everything, it’s just crazy to me that I was one of the few that was able to get that.”

The McWhorter name is a familiar one to Clemson fans. However, while McWhorter did have an uncle that attended Clemson, there is no connection to the family the current softball stadium is named after.

That doesn’t mean he’s not familiar with Dabo Swinney’s program though. McWhorter has camped at Clemson twice in the past and has always respected what the Tigers stand for.

“The biggest thing is the culture,” he said. “It’s a very family-like environment over there. Just the way everything is set up and the way coach Swinney runs things. They win football games too. They win a lot. It really is a great place.”

Now he’s even more familiar with Luke, who has an established track record of developing offensive linemen.

“Very easy to talk to. Great guy,” McWhorter said. “I think he definitely fits in with the culture at Clemson and is a really good offensive line coach. He went over a little presentation to show to me some of the guys he’s coached and put in the league and it’s impressive.”

McWhorter was at one time committed to Arkansas but backed off of the verbal pledge last month, choosing to open things back up.

The blue-chip talent is ranked as high as No. 200 overall and No. 9 among all interior linemen. Along with Clemson, McWhorter said he is currently hearing a lot from several schools, including Oklahoma, LSU, Tennessee, Wisconsin and Michigan.

With that kind of attention, comes a lot of pressure, and McWhorter said at times it’s a challenge to remain humble and appreciative of the many opportunities.

“It’s definitely difficult,” McWhorter said. “I’ve got great parents, and they definitely keep me humble and remind me what’s important and everything. But it’s really cool, and I’ve been really blessed just throughout this whole process.”

McWhorter is in no rush to make any kind of decision. He is eyeing next summer sometime regarding when he might announce a commitment. And while nothing is set in stone just yet, the plan is to be back at Clemson for the App State game.

For now, McWhorter is just taking things slow and building relationships, something he said will play a pivotal role in his recruitment. However, that’s just one piece of the puzzle in what he’s looking for in a school.

“Relationships is a big one, who I can see myself playing under,” McWhorter said. “What scheme I fit the best in, culture and everything. And another big one for me is a gameday atmosphere. You only get so many opportunities play a game. You work all year for that. So I want to have a cool crowd and a cool environment to play under.”

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