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For weeks, the prevailing thought was that Avon (Conn.) Old Farms tight end Chris Clark would decommit if or when Michigan Wolverines head coach Brady Hoke was fired.
And so when Hoke was terminated as the head man in Ann Arbor on Tuesday afternoon, it didn't take long for the consensus four-star prospect to officially re-open his recruitment:
— Chris Clark (@Clark8Chris) December 2, 2014
Holding a number of offers from around the country, Clark visited schools like North Carolina, Arizona State, Ohio State, and Tennessee before and directly after his pledge to Michigan. Notre Dame and Georgia were also considered strong contenders for his services at one time.
Since then, he's taken an official visit to North Carolina, the school to which he was first committed, as well as USC.
He's a consensus four-star prospect ranked as the No. 2 tight end nationally, the No. 2 player in the state of Connecticut, and the No. 79 player overall in the 247Sports Composite rankings.
On film, it's not hard to see why Clark sits near the top of the rankings at his position. Capable of creating separation from an inside receiver position or road-grading opponents from a three-point stance, Clark is a fluid athlete who can high-point the football. Just as importantly, he projects as an early contributor because of his blocking experience and the fact that he doesn't need to add mass to survive as a blocker.
An official visit to Texas had been planned for some time, but the big tight end had to delay his visit because of a recent injury, pushing it back into late January.
Until that time, the Longhorns staff will continue to build a relationship with him in hopes of eventually landing his signature as his recruitment once again opens up.