Dutch Fork Class of 2023 Aliam Appler, Wren Class of 2025 Gavin Owens Jr. drawing interest from Dabo Swinney's Clemson Tigers
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🌙🌴 Dabo Swinney’s Clemson Tigers are staying in close contact with two @PalmettoStateProspects quarterbacks, including Class of 2023 Aliam Appler of Dutch Fork and Class of 2025 Gavin Owens Jr. of Wren.
Clemson offensive analyst Tajh Boyd took Owens on an all-inclusive tour of campus on Oct. 30, where the 6-foot-4, 205-pound dual-threat got a chance to watch the Tigers defeat Florida State 30-20 in front of a packed house at Memorial Stadium.
Clemson got an early jump on the prospect and made an excellent impression on the athlete who hails from the Blue Ridge region, an area that the Tigers are synonymous with. Clemson’s campus is only 24 miles from Piedmont, where he is a two-sport star at football and basketball for the Hurricanes.
Owens is garnering offers from Marshall, Kentucky, and Florida A&M and interest from Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Penn State, and others. The quarterback totaled 1,863 yards and 14 touchdowns in the air and 113 yards and 3 touchdowns on the ground.
This offseason, Owens has been on the move, competing in the Elite 11 Tour in Atlanta and Prep Redzone Carolinas Camp in Asheville, along with visiting Florida, Florida State, and Florida A&M in April.
Christopher Vizzana, a 2023 4️⃣⭐️ prospect from Birmingham, has already committed to Clemson, but head coach Dabo Swinney stays in touch with Dutch Fork QB Aliam Appler, who has one offer from Bowling Green.
The 6-foot-4, 205-pound pro-style Silver Foxes athlete is a gamer that is drawing interest from Duke, Louisville, Notre Dame, North Carolina, Ohio State, and of course, Clemson.
Appler looks to lead the Silver Foxes to their No. 6 🌙🌴🏆 in seven seasons, and in the meantime, the signal-caller speaks with Swinney and offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter regularly when he visits Clemson and when the Tigers’ coaching staff comes down to Irmo.
Appler has the potential to succeed, but it’s just hard to determine whether or not offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter and the Tigers would be willing to offer a second quarterback in the Class of 2023 cycle.
The rising senior is one of South Carolina’s top 7-on-7 stars at Train 2 Go, where he slings it to D.J Tyler, a 6-foot-4 wide receiver-linebacker combo who transferred to Blythewood High School from North Gwinnett High School, a pipeline for collegiate talent in the Atlanta area.
The dynamic duo had a field day at the Bettering Everyone Around 7-on-7 Tournament, February 2021 in Columbia, SC, where I had a chance to watch the signal-caller showcase his stuff.
Appler’s size matches his athleticism, but he will still have to prove himself on “Friday Nights in South Carolina.” The signal-caller will have several golden opportunities to test his mettle with the Silver Foxes. The Midlands area program boasts South Carolina’s longest-running high school football dynasty in recent memory, and another state championship ring is the minimum expectation for head coach Tom Knotts.
Clemson will be watching closely, and the Tigers typically keep an eye on Dutch Fork. The Upstate school signed four-star Class of 2022 wide receiver Antonio Williams to their roster during the last recruiting cycle, which closed in February.
“Like many other schools, I’m sure they are waiting to see what I can do on the field this fall,” Appler said.🌙🌴