2024 athlete Rahshawn Clark commits to Washington: ‘I feel so welcome and so loved'
Seattle (Wash.) Garfield three-star athlete Rahshawn Clark flipped to Arizona from California on Dec. 18. Two days later, he signed with the Wildcats.
A key reason why Clark chose Arizona was because of the relationships he built with multiple staffers, including head coach Jedd Fisch and cornerbacks coach John Richardson. When Fisch left Tucson to take the same position at Washington in mid-January and brought Richardson with him to be the Huskies’ secondary coach, Clark decided to reevaluate his recruitment and was released from his National Letter of Intent.
Following an official visit to Washington on the weekend of Jan. 27, it didn’t take long for the 5-foot-11, 180-pounder to want to return home for his college football career. He made the news official on Wednesday by announcing his commitment to the Huskies.
“The love that the fans have for me, because I’m a hometown kid, it runs deep,” Clark told On3. “It’s crazy. I feel so welcome and so loved. It’s second-to-none.”
It is a relief that his recruitment has now concluded, especially at a place like Washington where he is comfortable and familiar with the coaching staff. His decision came after numerous discussions with his family and serious thinking about the path that he wanted to take.
That road led him back to the Pacific Northwest, where he is joining a program that played for the College Football Playoff National Championship. The No. 6 player in Washington is confident that Fisch can find success with the Huskies after leading Arizona to a 10-win season last year.
“It’s something I’m prepared for,” said Clark, the No. 530 overall prospect and No. 17 athlete in the 2024 On3 Industry Ranking. “I can’t wait to play at this level of competition and in the Big Ten. I believe I’ll have a chance to play early due to all the changes and I can be an impactful player early as a true freshman.”
Clark is excited to play for Washington’s coaches
Clark did not immediately choose Washington after Fisch left Arizona and was succeeded by Brent Brennan. He still considered the Wildcats and gave them a fair shot.
Yet the relationships he built with Fisch and Richardson were extremely strong. His bond with Fisch is the one of the best relationships with a head coach he’s ever had.
“When I took my OV (to Arizona), we had dinner at his house,” Clark said. “That’s something that I hadn’t done on an OV. The whole vibe was about everyone being themselves and being comfortable. It was just perfect. It made me very comfortable there.”
Clark has been recruited by Richardson since the coach was at Washington State a few years ago. Once Richardson went to Arizona, he heavily recruited Clark and gradually, a strong connection between the two developed. Now, they are both headed to The Emerald City.
“He really wants what’s best for me off the field,” Clark said. “He really wants to make me the best man I can be. With that comes him being a great coach. With that vibe already, he can coach me differently. I’m a coachable player, but it just comes different. Coach Richardson did stuff during my recruiting process that no other coaches did. He was upfront from the start. He never sugarcoated anything.”