4-star offensive lineman Sam Pendleton offered by Florida
Pfafftown (N.C.) Reagan offensive lineman Sam Pendleton continues to be one of the premier interior offensive lineman in the Southeast, and he picked up an offer on Wednesday night from Florida.
Pendleton is the No. 349 prospect in the 2023 class, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He ranks as the nation’s No. 27 interior offensive lineman and the No. 14 junior prospect in North Carolina.
“After a great conversation with Coach Bateman, I am blessed to say I have received an offer to attend school and play football at University of Florida. Go Gators!!” Pendleton wrote on Twitter.
The 6-foot-4, 295-pounder has amassed more than two dozens offers, including Clemson, Michigan N.C. State, Virginia Tech, and Clemson. Those five programs round his recently released top five.
Many eyes go to Clemson and Michigan on Pendelton’s list. He agrees and understands. He doubled down on being completely open to all five programs. North Carolina State is one of the programs that remains a serious threat.
They have the hometown advantage for Pendleton.
“If you look at the stats, NC State sends a lot of guys to the NFL every year,” Pendleton told On3’s Jeremy Johnson last month. “They’re a great engineering school. They have a lot to offer, especially for an in-state guy. They have a great coach and coach stability. It was one of the only programs in the ACC to not have a coach leave. They’re definitely super attractive to me. In my heart, I can’t rank any of these five. They’re all on equal playing ground because of stuff that’s happened and how they’ve impacted me. It’s not just about the program to me. At the end of the day, I’m a scholar-athlete on scholarship. You have to look at the education side.”
Where the Gators fit into the equation remains to be seen. New head coach Billy Napier has significant momentum on the recruiting trail and has made in-roads quickly with a number of prospect. Now, he’ll look to break into Sam Pendleton’s top schools and attempt to poach one of the country’s top maulers in the 2023 cycle.