Clemmons (N.C) West Forsyth four-star lineman <a href="https://www.on3.com/db/pj-dean-176632/">PJ Dean</a> is down to three schools in his recruitment, he told On3’s Hayes Fawcett on Tuesday.



Among the remaining trio of contenders are Georgia, Ohio State and South Carolina. 



Dean has already locked in official visits this summer with both the Gamecocks and Bulldogs, while a trip to Ohio State is expected to be added soon. 



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">NEWS: Elite 2026 IOL/DL PJ Dean is down to South Carolina, Georgia, & Ohio State, he tells me for <a href="https://twitter.com/On3Recruits?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@on3recruits</a> The 6’4 260 IOL/ DL from Clemmons, NC is ranked as the No. 22 Recruit in ‘26 (per On3) Where Should He Go?👇🏽<a href="https://t.co/rdkiNXm3Xl">https://t.co/rdkiNXm3Xl</a> <a href="https://t.co/ODhYEdeWB9">pic.twitter.com/ODhYEdeWB9</a>— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) <a href="https://twitter.com/Hayesfawcett3/status/1909630304181969152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



The 6-foot-3, 260-pound Dean is the No. 50 overall prospect and No. 3 IOL in the 2026 class, according to the <a href="https://www.on3.com/db/rankings/industry-player/football/2026/">On3 Industry Ranking</a>, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.



On3, however, is a bit higher on him than other services. In the most recent On300 rankings, he was tabbed as the nation’s No. 22 recruit and the top interior lineman in the country.



The Bulldogs though, are recruiting him along the defensive line. Dean recently dropped from more than 300 pounds down to 260, and DL coach Tray Scott has taken over his recruitment for UGA.



“It really is just that they see me as an all-around athlete, a two-way killer,” <a href="https://www.on3.com/teams/georgia-bulldogs/news/georgia-battling-sec-foe-for-4-star-pj-dean-after-shakeup/">Dean recently told DawgsHQ.com</a>. “It’s like, just knowing that they see that in me, that I should play defense there.  I was kind of scared, to be honest. It was kind of scary that schools wouldn’t look at me because I’ve been dropping weight so much. I was afraid my defensive film wasn’t good enough. I was just hearing that from them and I just didn’t believe in me.”



The Gamecocks also see him playing along the defensive line, a position move he likes. That has helped put both of them among his top schools. 



“Right now, they [Georgia] are neck to neck with South Carolina; they’re my top two right now,” Dean said earlier this week. “Me and South Carolina, I’ve got that home feeling with them. Coach Shane Beamer and Coach (Kirby) Smart. I’m glad they’re neck and neck with it right now.”

South Carolina DL target PJ Dean (Photo: Chad Simmons | On3)

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