Jordan Clark Talks Notre Dame Transfer Decision
Jordan Clark knew what he was looking for, which made it much easier to know when he found it.
The Arizona State transfer found it during a visit to Notre Dame this weekend and the defensive back announced his commitment to the Irish on Monday night.
“Going through this process, talking to my dad about it, I wanted to go somewhere where I can really evolve and grow, not only as a person, but as a student and as an athlete,” Clark told Irish Sports Daily on Monday night.
“I think that in those three areas, there's no better place to be than Notre Dame. You can go there, get a grad degree that means more than almost any school in the world. You can go there and compete for a College Football Playoff and go to a College Football Playoff and be around some of the best people you've ever met.”
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman, defensive coordinator Al Golden and safeties coach Chris O’Leary helped make the decision a “no-brainer” for Clark.
“I felt at home and it felt right and I was ready to commit and get it done,” said Clark.
O’Leary certainly made an impression.
“CO, he's probably one of my favorite coaches I've ever met in my entire life,” Clark said. “He was super lighthearted and super fun. I just loved being around him and then when we sat down and we talked ball, he had a brilliant football mind.
“Those are two things that I want. I want it to be a family feel. I want it to be somewhere I'm comfortable, but when it's time to work, I want it to be time to work and I want everybody to be locked in and everybody moving towards one goal. I feel like with Coach Free, Coach Al, CO, that's what I get from them.”
The Irish see the 5-foot-10, 185-pounder playing Nickel for them.
“They feel like my play style is the play style that they want in that spot,” Clark explained. “They want a guy who's going to attack perimeter screens, go make plays. They want a guy who can play man and also understand zone concepts. They say that that's the mold that I fit.
“And they want a guy who's going to play hard, a guy who's a dog and who is going to compete at the highest level and they say that that's what they see in me. So I'm super excited to get out there, just help the defense in any way I can and earn the respect of my teammates and the coaching staff.”
Clark is the son of former NFL safety Ryan Clark.
“He loves it,” Clark said of his father’s thoughts on his decision. “My dad grew up wanting to go to Notre Dame. Notre Dame was his dream school when was in high school and growing up. So for me to be able to have the opportunity to play there, it's really a dream come true, not just for me, but for my entire family.
“My mom didn't get to visit. It was just my dad and I can't wait to get my mom and my sister out there so they can see it and we can all really get immersed in the culture.”
Clark will have one year of eligibility left and is looking to make the most of it.
“Just maximizing myself, really buying in,” he said of how he’ll do that. “I will try to buy into the culture and do everything that's asked of me and do it at a high level. That's what I plan on doing. I plan on getting there as soon as I can, getting in the playbook with the coaching staff, getting in the weight room with the strength staff and just maximizing myself.
“Every day, if I come and I do everything I can, I feel like I'm able to help the team in a multitude of ways and I know that they'll be able to help me and grow as well. I just can't wait to get there, get to work and get ready to make a run.”
Clark said he’ll report to South Bend the first week of January.
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