Film Don't Lie: Brendon Clark
This might not have been the original route that was intended, but Notre Dame finally got their quarterback in the 2019 class with Elite 11 Finalist Brendon Clark committing tonight. It’s one less thing to worry about for the coaching staff when closing out this class.
More important than that, Clark is a solid prospect with a lot of room to grow. He made significant improvement from his sophomore to his junior season and if he continues on this trajectory, he’s going to challenge to be QB1 for the Irish at some point in the future.
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 213
Projected Position: Quarterback
ISD Grade: 87 (3-star)
National Average Grade: 86.9 (3-star)
What he does best:
Clark went from completing 52% of his passes as a sophomore to a 60% as a junior. That’s always encouraging and this back shoulder throw he makes shows why that accuracy is so important. He puts this ball in a place where his receiver can make the catch and then still get more yards after it. The majority of back shoulder throws have the receiver leaning out of bounds. That clearly wasn't the case here.
Clark throws a really nice looking deep ball as well. He puts a lot of arch on it and drops this one in the bucket.
The coverage was really good on both of those plays. They aren’t completed unless the ball is on the money and that’s exactly what Clark did.
He throws the ball with good touch and anticipation. His comfort level in the pocket is very high and he doesn’t appear to get rattled by the rush or constantly looking for an escape (although he is capable of evading). When you can be as comfortable as he is, you’re not limited to being a one read guy like a lot of other quarterbacks are at his age.
One thing that I love is that he is pretty much college ready from a size perspective right now. I’m sure he’ll add good weight when he gets to Notre Dame, but at 213 pounds right now, no one will ever have to worry about him having to get bigger to compete at the next level.
He uses that size to his advantage as runner. He can break tackles and should be difficult for pass rushers to bring down. Clark is a true dual-threat. He’ll make defenders miss and is an ideal athletic fit for the Irish offense.
He throws well outside of the pocket going to his right or left too. The playbook will be wide open to him with his skill set.
What he needs to improve:
The biggest thing with him is the consistency with how the football comes out. It’s not about changing arm angles or footwork necessarily. He doesn’t throw a tight ball all the time and that can make it tougher to catch.
There are several plays where his receivers will even leap up to body catch a pass they might normally grab with their hands. It can’t always be perfect, but he needs to be better in this area.
For a bigger quarterback (at his age), he does not have a cannon for an arm. There isn’t consistent zip when there needs to be. In a game where tight window throws can be the difference between average and great, arm strength does matter.
I think it can be improved with mechanics. Sometimes it looks like he relies on too much upper body torque on his throws and isn’t driving with his lower body. It could make a big difference for him if he is better with his lower half.
What’s his ceiling?
I have seen a lot of people compare Clark to Ian Book because of their similar rankings, but they are two very different players. That doesn’t mean that Clark can’t be as good as Book or possibly even better.
His abilities as a runner at his size combined with his calm in the pocket are a recipe for success. If he can fix some of the things he needs to work, then he has the tools to be a starter for the Irish.
There can only be one (except for the beginning of 2016, which we’d all like to forget). So for him to become that, he has to progress his game. If he does, then it will be interesting to see where he fits at the position in a few years.
BREAKING: 2019 QB Brendon Clark Commits To Notre Dame
Coach: New Notre Dame QB Commit Brendon Clark Has "It Factor" ($)
WATCH 2019 QB Brendon Clark Commit To Notre Dame