OT Olaus Alinen of Finland and Connecticut came down south last week to check out three schools…Clemson, Georgia and USC. The visits began in Pickens County last week, moved across the state line to Athens over the weekend, and ended Monday in Columbia. The Tigers offered Alinen on his visit. He previously held offers from the Bulldogs and Gamecocks.
“It was a good time there,” Alinen said of his Clemson stop. “I got to see the whole package. They had a scrimmage that day and I got to be in the meetings. I checked out the campus and the facilities. It’s an impressive program and really impressive facilities. Lot of effort being put into the football program. But the thing that stood out the most was the way they do things. They recruit a build different than everybody else. They are more selective. They’ve only offered like seventy-something kids in the whole class. They are looking for not only the best football players, but guys that fit their program character-wise.”
The visit gave Alinen the chance to meet Clemson’s new offensive line coach Thomas Austin for the first time and allowed them to continue building a relationship.
“Enjoyed spending some time with him and getting to know him better,” Alinen said. “I kind of saw how he coaches, how he teaches some of the techniques, and what he’s looking for at Clemson.”
The visit with the Gamecocks Monday came on a day off from spring practice, so he didn’t get the chance to see the team in action. But he spent plenty of time with head coach Shane Beamer and offensive line coach Greg Adkins.
“They were really welcoming and put a lot of effort into that day,” Alinen. “I got to see the facilities. I got to see the business school and meet some professors and see the dorms. It was a really good experience. That place is going in the right direction with good people.”
Alinen said from his conversations with Beamer he got a clear picture of how he would be treated as a Gamecock.
“They are going to be good for you, they want you to succeed and the program to succeed,” Alinen said. “I think they are willing to do and get the right things for the program to be in a good spot in a couple of years.”
Alinen also has visited Southern Cal and Ohio State. This weekend he will visit Alabama, and no other visits are scheduled. He also has offers from Kansas, Rutgers, Cincinnati, LSU, Auburn, Florida State, Cincinnati and Missouri.
