Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com MARCH 2019 41 2019 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY DAVID MCKINNEY In 2018, Notre Dame quarterback signee Brendon Clark led Midlothian (Va.) Manchester to a 15-0 record and a state championship. The 15 victories set a new school record and marked the third straight season Manchester won at least 11 games, all with Clark at the throttle. Outside of all the work put in at school, Clark trained with Malcolm Bell, a former college quarterback at North Carolina Central and current offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Trinity Episcopal School in Richmond, Va. Bell worked with Clark for more than eight months and has seen how skilled the future Irish gunslinger is. "The ball definitely jumps off his hand and he's got good arm strength," Bell said. "We've worked a lot on him increasing his velocity and using the lower half of his body a little bit more." For a coach, combining Clark's skill set with knowledge is a huge asset. "You can see in games that he has great command of his offense," Bell said. "He has a great understanding of what an offensive coordinator wants, and that helps him be successful." Clark can make all the throws, but according to Bell there is another level to his game that a casual fan might not take notice of immediately. "He's a bruising runner, and a lot of people don't really know that," Bell said. "He runs with force and convic- tion, and he's just a big force on the field at the quarterback position." Beyond all the physical attributes, Bell said Clark's mind is as valuable as his arm. "He's a very humble kid and he's always willing to learn new things," Bell said. "He's always coming out ready to work on his craft, and he's very serious about that." Bell added that even though Clark had a long offer list and national re- cruiting rankings, he showed up to training every day like he's never even thrown a football. "He ignores all the stuff around him like he has no stars," the coach said. "That's how his grind is. He's coming to get better every time, and that's how he's carried himself throughout his life." Clark will have to carry that mind- set with him to South Bend, arriving right after former Rivals100 quarter- back Phil Jurkovec and right before current Rivals100 2020 quarterback Drew Pyne. Competition, though, isn't something Clark shies away from. "He doesn't want anything handed to him, and I think a lot of Notre Dame fans will know that," Bell said. "He's a guy that puts on his blinders and is always ready to work." ✦ BRENDON CLARK QUARTERBACK 6-2 · 210 MANCHESTER H.S. MIDLOTHIAN, VA. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ — 20 12 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 20 13 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 15 13 STATISTICS • Finished his prep career with 9,214 total yards — 7,147 yards and 85 touchdowns passing, and 2,067 yards and 34 scores rushing. • Left Manchester as the all-time leader in pass- ing yards, single-season passing yards (2,372 in 2016) and single-game passing yards (298). Also holds the school's single-season record for touch- down passes (35 in 2018). • During his senior campaign, he completed 133 of 227 passes for 2,327 yards with 35 touchdowns and one interception while leading Manchester to a 15-0 record and the Class 6A state title. Also rushed for 796 yards and 17 scores on 102 carries. • Connected on 165 of 272 throws for 2,006 yards with 28 scores and four interceptions as a junior. • Completed 167 of 319 passes for 2,372 yards with 18 touchdowns and eight picks as a sophomore. HONORS • 2018 USA Today Virginia Offensive Player of the Year • 2018 Virginia All-Region 6B Offensive Player of the Year • 2018 Virginia All-Region 6B first team • 2017 USA Today All-State first team ALL-STAR GAMES AND CAMPS • Elite 11 Finals participant • Selected for the Big River Rivalry All-Star game in Virginia, but did not participate • Chosen to play in 2019 Polynesian Bowl, where he finished 8-of-16 passing for 89 yards; he also rushed twice for seven yards RECRUITMENT • Committed to Notre Dame on July 4, 2018. • Originally committed to Wake Forest. Picked Notre Dame out of a top three that also included Clemson and North Carolina. • Primarily recruited to Notre Dame by quarter- backs coach Tommy Rees. • Officially visited Notre Dame on June 15, 2018. NOTABLE • Born on Aug. 22, 2000. • Led Manchester to the program's highest sin- gle-season point total (819), win total (15) and single-game point total (79) as a senior. 2019 PROJECTION • Expect Clark to redshirt as a true freshman in 2019. THEY SAID IT Manchester head coach Tom Hall: "I've never had a quarterback like him. He's a once in a life- time for a high school coach. "I've never seen a kid that has all the intangibles he has. He is amazing." Quarterbacks coach Tom Rees: "Brendon Clark's innate ability to beat you both passing and run- ning, paired with his blue-collar competitiveness and tough nature, led his team to an undefeated season and state title. The guy is dripping in grit." BGI football analyst Bryan Driskell: "Clark will need work mechanically, but he has a strong arm and is an effortless thrower. When he drives off his back foot the ball jumps out of his hand. Clark throws the deep ball well and his touch in the red zone is outstanding. "He shows a good feel in the pocket, and he anticipates pressure well and quickly works out of trouble. He can do damage with his legs and will tuck and run effectively. I love his willingness to keep his eyes downfield as he works in the pocket." QB Brendon Clark Not Shying Away From Competition Clark was named the Virginia Offensive Player of the Year by USA Today after accounting for 3,122 yards of total offense and 52 touchdowns while leading Midlothian (Va.) Manchester to a 15-0 record and a state championship. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM "He doesn't want anything handed to him, and I think a lot of Notre Dame fans will know that. He's a guy that puts on his blinders and is always ready to work." RICHMOND (VA.) TRINITY EPISCOPAL SCHOOL COACH MALCOLM BELL ON CLARK