OT Markee Anderson (6-5 280) of Dorman planned all four of his official visits for June and a decision in August before the start of his senior season. So far, he is sticking to his plan having checked off officials to Clemson and North Carolina the last two weekends. Coming up will be trips to LSU and USC.
Anderson visited North Carolina with his teammate and fellow offensive tackle DJ Geth, son of former Tar Heel basketball player Ed Geth. And what he got most from the visit was meeting as many of the Tar Heels as he could.
“Probably getting to spend some time with the players and hang out with some of the coaches more,” Anderson said. “They said they want me badly, and I could see myself playing there a couple of years.”
Clemson was the first official visit the opening weekend of the month. The Tigers, with first year offensive line coach Thomas Austin, have made a strong pitch for Anderson, and he saw and heard more of that on the visit.
“It was a great experience to be my first OV,” Anderson said. “I got to spend more time with the coaches and really get to know them. Getting around the players and the recruits too, hang out with them too and just chill in a chill environment.”
Though a rookie coach at Clemson, Austin knows the program as well as anyone having played there and having worked as an analyst with former line coach Robbie Caldwell. So, Anderson feels Austin’s newness as the line coach is not a negative in any way.
“Being a former player, he knows how to get around and stuff like that, how the offensive line there works,” Anderson said. “Him still being new, it really won’t make a big difference because he’s been there really his whole life.”
Anderson will head down to Baton Rouge this weekend, then he makes a return visit to USC. He’s been a regular visitor with head coach Shane Beamer and offensive line coach Greg Adkins over the last several months, and the two have kept up their communications.
“It’s been the same message. They like how I play, and they can’t wait to get me down,” Anderson said. “Just going to hang out more with the players and see the daily routine of the South Carolina Gamecocks.”
At the halfway point of his travels, Anderson said there’s no leader and he wants to complete the visits before getting down to that final decision.
