As the Nebraska football staff continues to reshape the wide receiver room, they’re cognizant of bringing in players with an array of body types.
This staff certainly loves players with legit track speed and guys who are game-breakers, but they also know you need big-bodied receivers in this conference.
Husker coaches took notice of Quinn Clark in spring and liked his junior film. The only issue was they didn’t really have a frame of reference with him since he plays at Bozeman (Mont.) Gallatin High School, and the Treasure State isn’t exactly a hub for elite college talent.
The staff invited Clark to work out in front of them at one of their camps in order to get a proper evaluation of him.
Clark was on the radars of schools like UCLA, Washington, Washington State, Iowa State, Colorado State and Hawaii, but arrived on campus with only offers from in-state FCS programs Montana and Montana State.
For most Power Five coaching staffs, it’s a concern when a player doesn’t have more opportunities from regional schools. Many staffs would have been wary that no schools in the Mountain West had come through with an offer, despite the fact Clark was already the consensus No. 1 player in Montana as a junior.
Go here for more from Jeremy Pernell’s series.
But as we’ve learned, Matt Rhule and his staff trust their evaluations more than a player’s offer list or a recruiting service’s opinion.
Clark had a busy spring playing in 7-v-7 tournaments and attending several camps. He arrived in Lincoln to work out for Husker coaches having already participated in back-to-back events the two days prior. He was in Boise June 9, braving the rain to participate in the Gem State Showcase and was one of the better looking players there. The following day, he was in Salt Lake City on a hot day for the ESPN Underclassmen Combine where he again stood out.
If Clark was suffering jet lag or fatigue, it didn’t show in Lincoln. He got the staff’s attention by running a 4.72-second 40-yard dash and jumping 35 inches, then was put through a rigorous workout. Coaches put him through multiple different drills as a wide receiver, tight end and even some at linebacker to gauge where he might fit best or if there’s potential for him to grow into another position. He looked smooth for someone his size during the route-running drills, showing a combination of height, agility and dependable hands that stood out above the other campers.
Rhule and his coaches seek out upside when offering prospects, and Clark got their attention. The staff made only a couple of on-the-field offers during their summer camp sessions, and one of those was Clark. Rhule watched him win his first rep during one-on-ones and offered him on the spot after being impressed with his versatility in other drills during the camp.
Nebraska had long been his dream offer. As you probably know, Quinn’s father is the late Ken Clark, who played I-back for the Huskers from 1985-89. Ken was two-time All Big-Eight and is still on Nebraska’s top-10 lists for rushing yards in a career (3,037, eighth), a single season (1,497 in 1988, seventh) and a single game (256 against Oklahoma State in 1988, fourth). Quinn still has aunts, uncles and cousins who live in Lincoln.
Even so, he didn’t commit on the spot. He wanted to come back and take an official visit to be sure Lincoln was the right place for him. Clark returned for that visit the weekend of June 23-25 and was hosted by Malachi Coleman. Husker QB commit Danny Kaelin was also in town and the two hung out with each other quite a bit.
Quinn also spent a lot of time with Marcus Satterfield and Garret McGuire, and the coaches did a good job of laying out their plans for him in the offense. They’re bringing him in to play the X receiver, but could also move him to a flex tight end if he continues to grow and add to his already impressive 6-foot-5, 205-pound frame.
Clark clicked with Matt Rhule during his visit and loved the family environment and culture he was building. He told the Husker head coach he wanted to commit during their meeting at 8 a.m. on Sunday. Quinn went home and announced it publicly two days later on June 27.
Coming out of the prep ranks, Clark’s a natural fit as an outside receiver. He has an extremely large catch radius and is dominant at the high school level at jump balls and 50-50 plays. I think there’s a good chance he ends up outgrowing the receiver position, but his skill set will still translate if he moves to a more split out tight end role.
He’s a better athlete than you might expect for someone with his size and frame. He participates in track in high school and was the divisional champ in the high jump with a jump of 6’4”. He also placed third in the long jump with a leap of 21’5” and has a respectable PR in the 100 meters of 11.79 seconds.
Clark was a two-time first-team all-state selection at receiver after catching a combined 101 passes for 1,747 yards and 29 touchdowns as a junior and senior. I don’t think I would completely dismiss the idea of him ending up as a linebacker, either – not with this staff. He was a two-way starter at Gallatin and was named honorable-mention all-state as a safety the last two years as well.
Clark arrives this summer, and I would expect a redshirt year from him. It’s going to be a pretty big step up in competition for him and I think he’ll work behind the scenes to see where his body develops physically under Corey Campbell.
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