Clemson offers Florida lineman

Orlando (Fla.) Olympia offensive guard James Hamilton added to his list of offers on Thursday when an ACC program became the latest to tender him.

"I was at workouts and then I got in the car and saw I had a missed call from my head coach so I called him back and he told me he had great news," Hamilton said. "He told me I had an offer from Clemson."

"To tell you the truth, it came as a surprise," Hamilton added. "It was kind of a shocker for me."

Hamilton, who has yet to speak to Dabo Swinney or his staff, said that they told his coach that he is the type of big interior lineman that they need.

"He just said that they need a big guy inside," Hamilton said. "He said they like the way I perform."

With the verbal offer now extended, Hamilton intends to research the Tigers' program.

"I really don't know much about them at this point but I hope to find out more about them," Hamilton said. "I know they have great tradition. I know they like to pound the ball."

Clemson joins Cincinnati, Connecticut, Florida Atlantic, Illinois, Michigan State, Purdue, Rutgers, South Florida, Syracuse, Texas A&M, and Western Kentucky in offering the massive offensive lineman.

He has visited Georgia, South Florida, Central Florida, Miami, and this past weekend, Florida. He talked a bit about his recent trip to Gainesville.

"It was a big campus," Hamilton said. "I got to see the facilities, really nice facilities, especially the weight room. The coaching staff was great. I got see them practice and they were very energetic, moving around a lot. It was very high-tempo. It was just a great vibe there."

He had a chance to speak with the coaching staff about where he fits into their plans.

"They just told me that they are looking at me as a both sides of the ball kind of guy," Hamilton said. "They said when they come during the spring they will see which side of the ball they need me more at, whether it is defensive lineman or offensive lineman. It really doesn't matter to me, whatever gets me on the field."

Hamilton says that he believes Florida, Georgia, LSU, Notre Dame, South Carolina, and Temple will check in on him during the spring and that an offer may come. He isn't focused on recruiting as much as he is on being prepared to make a good impression on the practice fields during the month of May.

"Right now I am just really focused on the spring," Hamilton said. "Hopefully after spring I will know a bit more and have a better idea of some of the schools I want to see."

With regards to spring, the 6-foot-4 lineman has been working hard on reaching a few goals.

"I am working on dropping my weight down and becoming a better overall player so I can get ready for the next level," Hamilton said. "I am about 330 pounds now. I was around 350 at the end of my junior season. I feel I can breathe more and it makes me a little bit faster. Hopefully once I get down to around 320 pounds I will be at the peak of my game."

This coming weekend, Hamilton plans to visit either South Carolina or South Florida.