National championship contenders have the attention of elite 2026 4-star IOL PJ Dean
Clemmons (N.C.) West Forsyth four-star interior offensive lineman PJ Dean holds offers from more than 20 schools. He is “taking it slow” in his recruitment amid interest from Alabama, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia, Ohio State and South Carolina among other top programs.
Dean, who is still deciding when he will commit, will soon follow his older brother into college football. Jared Wilson is an interior offensive lineman at Georgia and has been helping Dean through the recruiting process.
“It’s a big advantage because he tells me how it’s going to be,” Dean told On3. “… He said to expect the unexpected.”
Wilson has been advising Dean to “keep your head down” and “stay humble” as he heads into his junior season. Visits will be important to the 6-foot-3.2, 304-pound recruit, as he plans to pay close attention to how players are developed at multiple schools and how many players at his position certain programs send to the NFL.
There is still a long time until Wilson announces his college destination. Yet the No. 3 player in North Carolina already knows what matters most to him in a school.
“It’s about relationships for me,” said Dean, the No. 18 overall prospect and No. 2 interior offensive lineman in the 2026 On300. “It’s about how you get along with my mom and me. How I get along with the coaches is a really big thing for me.”
Georgia and Alabama want Dean to play in the SEC
Wilson, who signed with Georgia as a four-star recruit in the 2021 cycle, has told Dean good things about the SEC program. The talented prospect has already visited the Bulldogs’ campus.
Dean shared that Wilson wants him to evaluate multiple schools and not choose Georgia solely because he is playing in Athens. But the Bulldogs are one program that has already caught his attention.
“It’s the University of Georgia,” Dean said. “It’s the No. 1 college football program in the country and they act like it. It’s energetic over there. There’s a lot of passion there. When I go down there for night games, it’s another type of atmosphere.”
Offensive line coach Stacy Searels has already established a connection with Dean. He likes the Georgia assistant’s personality.
“When I have been there, we talk,” Dean said. “He jokes around with me. He tells me about all the stuff that he does at UGA. He gives my older brother praise, but our conversations are more about me. He doesn’t really use my brother as a factor in my recruitment.”
One of Georgia’s SEC rivals is also working to land Dean. Alabama hosted him for a spring practice, which marked his first time visiting the Crimson Tide.
Dean’s main contact in Tuscaloosa is offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic. He felt that his trip to Alabama “far exceeded my expectations.”
“The facilities were amazing,” Dean said. “How much they put into the players is also a big thing I look into. They made a really good impression while I was up there.”
“I like how they do things up there,” he added. “… They’re really organized. Them being that organized and being that good of a team stands out to me.”
Florida State, Clemson, Ohio State and South Carolina have Dean’s attention
Florida State hosted Dean for the first time during a Junior Day in January. He is hoping to return to Tallahassee in the coming weeks.
Dean called the Seminoles’ campus “a beautiful place” and “definitely a place that I could see myself.” A key reason for his interest in Florida State is offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Alex Atkins.
“Coach Atkins, he keeps it real 24/7,” Dean said. “That’s what he does. Sometimes, we don’t even talk about football when he visits my high school. We talk about personal stuff, so that’s a big thing for me.”
Clemson has also impressed Dean. He does not have an offer from the Tigers yet, but if he gets one, the ACC program will become a contender for him because offensive line coach Matt Luke coached his brother while he was at Georgia.
South Carolina is Clemson’s in-state rival and the Gamecocks are high on Dean’s list.
“I was at South Carolina for camp last summer and I loved it. The people there are great. I love Coach Lonnie Teasley. He is a great offensive line coach, we talk a lot and South Carolina is a place I want to get back to.”
Ohio State is another school that Dean is interested in. He has spoken with offensive line coach Justin Frye and hopes to visit Columbus in the summer if he can.
“When they came and talked to me, they said, ‘When you get up there, you’re going to be surprised,’” Dean said. “It’s Ohio State. With their history, I definitely want to get up there.”
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