Frank Clark

Name: Frank Clark

Location: Cleveland, OH

Position: LB

Ratings: ESPN – 3* (77), Scout – 3*, Rivals 3*

Recruitment: Clark is from Glenville high school, which hasn't sent many kids to Michigan in recent years. Frank was recruited for a long time under RR, but only received an offer in the fall of his senior season; he was being recruited as a TE. After RR was let go, Hoke made Clark one of his main recruits, pitching him on playing Linebacker under Greg Mattison at Michigan. After getting him on campus for an official visit, Clark silently committed to Michigan and then announced it on signing day. The main competition was Michigan State and North Carolina.

Offers: Michigan, Michigan State, North Carolina, Minnesota, California and some MAC schools.

Stats: Currently weighs around 210lbs at 6’3. He runs a 4.53 forty yard dash and as a senior he racked up 70 tackles and 19 sacks.

ESPN Analysis: Clark is a prospect who might be flying a little under the radar. He is a bit of a defensive end / outside linebacker 'tweener at this point and has some experience at both spots.

ESPN actually feels he’d be better suited for the defensive end position in the 4-3. He is a physical kid and can be a solid tackler. He is active and defends the run well. Displays good upside as a pass rusher. He will attack half-a-man and while he needs to develop his pass rush arsenal he can be active with his weapons and can turn the corner well to get to the quarterback. There is some possibility that Clark could be looked at as a tight end, but we feel he fits well on defense and with some work could develop into a good college defender and end up being a nice little pick-up for a program.

Improvements: Widen his pass rush arsenal and add some bulk.

Film Highlights: None? Strange....

Final Thoughts: Clark has the ability to play TE at the college level, but after Michigan took Chris Barnett late on signing day, it looks like Clark will stay at Linebacker; where some might argue he has a better upside.

This is a good pickup for Michigan, firstly because Clark is a skilled and versatile football player, and secondly because he'll help Michigan recruit Glenville HS in the future, a place that consistently pumps out Div 1 talent.