Rockbridge County (Lexington, VA) offensive tackle Austin Clark has scored five scholarship offers since attending Virginia Tech’s camp in mid-July, adding to the six he had received previously. No question, the 6’6″, 285-pound prospect has become one of the most coveted linemen in the state of Virginia’s class of 2015.
“Right now I have eleven offers,” said Clark. “The most recent ones were Rutgers, West Virginia, Temple and Wake Forest. Penn State, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Tennessee, UNC, Duke, and Maryland also offered.”
Clark has done some traveling this fall, taking in games at Penn State (Michigan game), Tennessee, Virginia (Oregon game) and Virginia Tech (Marshall game). He plans to go to Auburn and Georgia for games as well this season.
Penn State’s quadruple overtime win over Michigan was a memorable game for Clark, who called the experience “incredible. I think they said there were a hundred seven thousand people there.”
Clark seemed most impressed by the atmosphere at Tennessee.
“I was really just blown away by Neyland Stadium on gameday and seeing how the fans were,” Clark said. “It was eight or nine in the morning and a ton of fans were lining up for the Vol walk.”
I asked Clark about the two in-state ACC schools, Virginia and Virginia Tech. Of Virginia, he said:
“I know they’ve been having a pretty hard year, but I think with the class they are getting I think they are going to be really good. I think Coach London is doing a good job with the program. I like [offensive line coach Scott Wachenheim]. I talk to him the most.”
Of the Hokies, Clark said: “It’s Virginia Tech. It is known for having a good program and going to bowls every year. What I liked is the fan base they have at the game. It was cool. Even though it was pouring when I went, the fans were there in full force. I really like Coach Grimes, Coach [Frank] Beamer, and Coach Stinespring.”
Although he had positive things to say about Penn State, Tennessee, Virginia and Virginia Tech, the Rockbridge County product claims to have no favorite or favorites at this point in his recruitment.
“Like I’ve said before, I’m keeping all my options open. It’s too early to name favorites,” said Clark, who added that “I’m not really sure when a decision will be made. This spring, I’ll probably go on more visits than do camps.”
As a result of the work he put in this past offseason and attending five college camps (Duke, Ohio State, Penn State, Tennessee and Virginia Tech), Clark helped himself, not only recruiting-wise but also with his performance on the gridiron. He feels he has taken the next step as a player.
“I definitely think going against all these guys in the offseason and going to camps has helped me a lot,” Clark said. “My performance is definitely better. I’m bigger, quicker and stronger, but I definitely feel like my technique with pass-blocking and run-blocking is much better too.”
SportsWar’s Take
Tennessee was able to come into Virginia and land offensive lineman Coleman Thomas in the class of 2014. The Vols have made a strong impression as well with Clark. He didn’t name any favorites, but Penn State, Tennessee, Virginia, and Virginia Tech have all made positive impressions. In fact, these were the four schools he was most high on in an interview back in July. As Clark stated, he is not sure when he commit. He admitted it could be before his senior season, during the season, or perhaps after.
As a player, I like how well Clark moves for his size, but I also like his toughness. He had an ankle injury in one-on-ones at Tech’s camp, but he gutted through it and played pretty well despite it. Seems to be a competitor.
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