Louisiana 2017 Recruit Josh Clarke Talks NSD 2016 and gives Recruiting Update
Written by Ryan Wright
Twitter: @HogManInLA
The 2015 season for Riverdale High School (Jefferson) did not turn out the way anyone wanted suffering through a tough campaign but one bright shining light came through, linebacker Josh Clarke. The 6’2”, 222 pound, beast was all over the field doing his best to stuff the competition racking up an estimated 140 tackles with nine sacks, three forced fumbles, three picks and even picked up 80 yards rushing on offense.
Colleges see the talent in the highly productive Louisiana talent. To date, at least 13 Division-I programs have offered and the list is impressive which includes Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Cincinnati, Arkansas State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Indiana, Idaho, and Ole Miss. As 2016 continues forward, that list is sure to grow with Alabama, Florida State, LSU, Nebraska, Northwestern, Mississippi State, UCLA, Texas Tech, and Texas A&M all showing interest. Despite all the offers and the big stat line, some recruiting services still rank Clarke as a 3-star.
In a Recruiting News Guru exclusive interview, I caught up with Clarke after National Signing Day 2016 to get his thoughts on the day overall from a top Class of 2017 recruit perspective, caught up on his offseason workouts, and got a recruiting news update.
Interview
Josh, Wednesday was a crazy day with a lot happening across the country on the recruiting trail. Did any teams catch your eye with how they closed or the classes that they pulled to their programs?
“I’d say the Texas Longhorns caught my eye with all the people that they signed. Ole Miss, Alabama, and Florida State as well.”
What was it about those teams that caught your eye?
“Really it was the amount of people and talent that signed with the teams.”
Did the commitments of any specific recruits surprise you?
“Yeah, (defensive end) Prince Sammons (Cincinnati, OH) going to Auburn. Seeing (cornerback) Kristian Fulton going to LSU, I thought he was going to Florida, and Cliff Chatman (McDonogh 35) flipping from FSU to Texas A&M.”
Seeing how the day played out, what were your personal thoughts on the day being a year out from your time to sign?
“I was watching how it went wondering how it’ll go for me next year.”
What were your final takeaways from seeing the 2016 class go through the process?
“Really just making sure I pick the right school and I have no regrets.”
With your recruiting process, what is most important to you when looking at the different schools and programs?
“How many people committing at my position, my relationships with staff, the academics of the school, and if the campus has a nice atmosphere.”
How many offers do you have right now?
“I don’t know.”
Which school was the latest to offer?
“The latest was the Florida Gators.”
Which program is showing the most interest right now but has not offered you yet?
“Alabama is showing the most but they haven’t offered me yet.”
Do you know which camps you’re going to attend coming up?
“I’m going to the Rivals and Opening camps.”
Are you taking any unofficial visits coming up? Attending any Junior Days or anything like that?
“I’m planning on going to Ole Miss, Alabama, Florida, and FSU. I’m going to LSU for their Junior Day. I might also visit Baylor, the Vols (Tennessee), and maybe the Texas Longhorns, and maybe Oklahoma.”
Which schools did you visit unofficially during the 2015 season?
“LSU, Ole Miss, Tulane Florida, and UL (Louisiana-Lafayette).”
How did the visit to LSU go for you?
“It was crazy. It is wild up there but fun.”
What about your visit to Ole Miss?
“Same thing as LSU. Of all the places I’ve been, Ole Miss I’d say has the wildest fans.”
When you take your visit to Alabama, what are some of the things that will be of interest for you to see or learn during that trip?
“I really want to see what it’s like there. I want to see the atmosphere and the stadium. I want to see the players and just everything up there. Alabama is a top school and they just won a championship. I’m ready to see what the program is like.”
How have your offseason workouts been going so far?
“I’ve been doing a lot with my workouts. I’m working on getting bigger but I’m keeping my speed.”
How is everything going in the classroom?
“I have a 3.4 GPA right now but I’m bringing that up.”
When do you take the ACT?
“On Saturday.”
Are you nervous?
“Yeah.”
Good luck with that. Are you playing any spring sports for Riverdale?
“I’m doing track right now.”
Which events?
“The 100 meters. That’s all I know of right now. I’m doing some events in the field. I’m trying out the javelin and shotput this year.”
The javelin would be fun to do.
“Yeah, we’ll see.”
Have you turned in a time in the 100 yet?
“No, this is my first year running it. I’m replacing Donte Jackson, he’s at LSU now. He was one of the fastest in the nation for the past three years.”(Jackson ran a 10.30 to capture the 4A Louisiana state title in May, 2015)
Good luck with that Josh. Good luck with your upcoming trips as well.
“Thank you.”
Photo credit: scout.com; No. 2 Josh Clarke on the Riverdale sidelines.
Photo credit: twitter.com; Josh Clarke.