R100 OT Clark picks Gamecocks
Rivals100 offensive tackle Austin Clark made his commitment to South Carolina on Thursday. The Lexington (Va.) Rockbridge star chose the Gamecocks over Virginia Tech, Tennessee and Ohio State.
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"I've been down there a few times now and every time I went down there I just felt that was the place for me," said the 6-foot-5, 295-pound Clark. "You hear about all these guys that say during the recruiting process that they knew when they stepped foot on campus and that's kind of how it was for me. As soon as I took that visit I knew it was the place for me. The reason I took a couple more visits after the South Carolina visit is because I wanted to be sure the feeling I had was the real deal and it turned out it was."
One factor in particular gave coach Steve Spurrier and the Gamecocks a leg up on the competition.
"What really tipped the scales was sitting down and thinking about it from an academic standpoint, an athletic standpoint and thinking about how comfortable I felt," he said. "I felt a lot more comfortable at South Carolina and that's really saying something considering I've been to Virginia Tech four or five times and Tennessee four or five times. I've only been to South Carolina three times I think so my comfortability there really tipped the scales."
In Clark's eyes one of the more attractive features of the South Carolina is where the program is headed.
"I really like everything they're doing with their facilities right now," Clark said. "Not only have they been planning on doing all these great things with a new indoor facility and different things with the stadium but they've already started them. It's definitely exciting to see that. Also getting to talk to coach Elliott and coach Spurrier a little more face to face."
Clark also likes how he fits into the South Carolina offense.
"Their plan is to play me at tackle and what I really like about them is that they do both, throw the ball and run the ball," he said. "They're not a run-heavy team and they're not a pass-heavy team. I like that versatility."
Clark admitted Virginia Tech was the school that came in second.
Adam Friedman is a Mid-Atlantic Region football recruiting analyst for Rivals.com. You can click here to follow him on Twitter.
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