This is in SC

Maybe Clematis? Can you get more photos of leaves towards the base of the vine?

Not any leaves at the base of the stem. Just a very small sprig coming out of the ground. It does have some slight “Prickles” on the stem - very few further up but lower stem seems to have a lot.

Smilax perhaps?

I was thinking the same, a.k.a. greenbrier? It's pretty common here in the southeast, I think.

Apparently FL has nine different varieties:

https://www.chronicleonline.com/news/real_estate/florida-s-nine-common-smilax-vines/article_fdc25e46-cac1-11e9-8d6b-5b3bff4bab50.html

Smilax for sure, possibly S. glauca, commonly called saw brier.

That is an interesting thought. I need to go check another vine out in the woods that definitely has briars on it. Maybe what I found is just a baby of the other type. It will definitely leave if that is the case because those thorns can really scratch.

thanks to all for the help

Just to let you know, most smilax have at least a hearty rhizome, some have tuber-like crowns. All of it must be removed, or what is left will sprout again. The rhizomes can be wide-ranging, though your example is young so probably won't be too much trouble.

As an aside, there's a thornless smilax, S. smallii (Jackson vine) which is evergreen, has red berries and is quite ornamental. But...it can re-seed, and also spreads by creeping rhizome.

Thanks for the rhizome info. I looked at some vines that I am working on clearing out and it’s the same briar. I was hoping I had found something special :) - so thanks to @Jay 6a Chicago for making me look more closely at the plant as I didn’t realize it had prickles. And thanks to all with the info on the briar plant. I’m new to this area and have so much to learn about what plants grow around here.