After Miami official visit, DT C.J. Clark says Hurricanes are in the driver's seat, has a message for Miami fans
A whirlwind Thursday-Saturday evening Miami Hurricanes official visit just wrapped up for NC State DT transfer C.J. Clark. He confirmed for CaneSport he was the only visitor on campus this weekend, and as such he got a lot of attention from coaches and the team.
Clark took the trip with his parents.
“It was great, I enjoyed it,” Clark said. “Great trip, great people, the vibes, they welcomed my family, all the coaches, coach (Mario) Cristobal, (Jason) Taylor, (Joe) Salave’a, they were great to me the whole time, very real to me, let me know what they see in my future. A great time overall.”
Clark is now on his way back to North Carolina and has to figure out one key question: Will he still take a visit to the only other school in his picture, Washington.
He says it’s 50/50 as of now if he’ll take that trip, which is currently scheduled for Tuesday.
“It’s to be determined – I have graduation next week, so I’m not sure if I’ll make that trip,” Clark said.
Clark adds that “Miami is in a great spot, at the head of my chart.”
He also states the obvious: If he doesn’t take the Washington visit he’ll be enrolling at Miami next month.
“Yeah, you can say that,” he said when asked if a canceled Washington visit would end his recruitment in Miami’s favor.
He adds that “of course” Miami is now in the driver’s seat of his recruitment regardless.
Clark also says he was sold during the visit by his time around the team, and he had a meal with DL Akheem Mesidor and LB Francisco Mauigoa he says was enlightening.
“They talked highly about the coaches and just the environment at Miami,” Clark said. “I got a good feel from them. I also met with guys at the facilities, they were all genuine people, I communicated, got to know them.”
Clark says off the trip that his parents are fully on board with Miami if that’s his choice (“they definitely enjoyed their time, the company,” he says).
And the DT was also wowed by Cristobal.
“He is a great, great human, was very honest with me, told me the need they have for me, the opportunity I have to come there and really just was real with me, explained about the guys they have coming in, the upside of the program coming up,” Clark said.
CaneSport’s Take
The feeling right now is it’s just a matter of time before Clark announces he will be a Miami Hurricane, and UM certainly needs an athletic run-stopper like him on board with the team losing Leonard Taylor to the NFL and Branson Deen to graduation. He also shared this, when asked if he has a final message for Miami fans: “Tell them to be on the lookout,” Clark said.
*Clark brings a lot of starting experience to the table. This past season he had 22 tackles, four for losses with a sack; in 2022 he had 18 tackles and three sacks. Clark also started the first three games of 2021 before a season-ending injury (had eight tackles, 3 QB pressures); he redshirted in 2019 and started two games in 2020 (against Miami and the bowl game, and ended year with 24 tackles and 3 QB pressures).
Clark says he’s excited to play in a four-man front vs. the 3-man fronts that NC State uses. “I’ve been in the same scheme for a while, feel I have more to showcase as far as getting to the next level,” Clark said. “I believe going into a new scheme and being able to use my athleticism and go more vertical, not take on too many double teams – playing in a 4 down would make me have a better chance to showcase myself.”
Below watch back-to-back fourth quarter plays from this year’s game between Miami and the Wolfpack and note DT Clark (No. 5) using power/quickness to get push into the backfield vs. Matt Lee and double-teams:
