Kentucky commit Jayden Clark says the more physical a game is, the better he likes it.
Kentucky commit Jayden Clark of Northmont High School in Clayton, Ohio, missed his junior season with a torn knee ligament he suffered at a recruiting event that led to some teams backing off his recruitment.
“It was rough mentally and physically with injuries. I not only lost strength but also weight in general,” the Ohio offensive lineman said. “I tried to stay optimistic and remind myself that God had a bigger purpose and plan for me. Post surgery I weighed 239 (pounds) and could not lift a lot (of weight). Now I am at 305 and putting up really good numbers in the weight room because of the consistent work I did.”
While other schools backed off because of his knee injury, Kentucky did not.
“I trusted God that it would be alright. Kentucky stayed with me,” Clark said. “Coach (Vince) Marrow was at the school to see me whenever possible. He’s a great guy.”
Clark considers himself an aggressive run blocker in part because of his wrestling background. He also says he has quick feet needed in pass protection.
“I like to think I am quick enough to beat my guy no matter how fast they might be and use my leverage to my advantage,” he said. “The more physical the game, the more I like it. There were some other options on the table for me but Kentucky just always seemed like the best option.”
Clark knows UK commit Cedric Works, a four-star edge rusher who was his teammate in Ohio before he transferred to Frederick Douglass in Lexington for his senior season.
“He is an amazing athlete and also a good friend,” Clark said about the 6-5, 230-pound Works. “We went one-on-one a lot and were constantly battling. It’s good to see him have the opportunity he does and he’ll be a great teammate at Kentucky.
“He makes plays that matter at the right time. Once he gets to college his strength will go up. He’s already a heck of an athlete.”
4 Responses
I hope UK continues to get quality recruits, guys who are the key element to return the USA to “one Nation under God” and be a factor in mending & healing a lot of broken people.
He’s a hoss and I hope Marrow continues to get this type of person who can play sold football…
and I hope UK gets the right coaches to properly develop the talent to be competitive EVERY game…
We need to load up on the o line. It had been he biggest problem on he team now for 3 years. It would definitely be my main focus if I was the coach of Kentucky. You need some continuity. But do you fire Bush And Wolford? Or do you keep them and see if the team improves next year and then make your decision? Its hard to start over every year and we’ve started over 5 years in a row on offense. Do we change everything again or is next year a make or break year for the whole coaching staff? That’s what I’m wondering?? If they fire Bush then Barion Brown and company have had a new offensive coordinator every year they’ve been here and that’s not fair! Or do you tell Bush you have the first 3 games next year to show me what continuity looks like? Maybe if we don’t see improvement in the first couple games next year Do you fire him then? I would love to Keep Vince Marrow at all cost. Even if you have to pay him double what he makes now and I don’t care if its 2-3 million a year for a tight ends coach. We must retain him. He’s our lifeline on recruiting. If he wasnt on the staff Stoops would have been fired 7 years ago. We wouldn’t have had half of the good players we’ve had without him maybe more than half. I think he follows Stoops out the door if he leaves. Hats the problem. He has recruited the best in Kentucky football history and I would hate to lose him more than Stoops you know?
Now imagine us getting a better coach who can recruit good and we keep Vince!!!??? What a great situation to be in.
Vince is the top recruiter and the reason UK has been landing better & better recruits for a decade. When I want to clean house, it does not include Vince. He is not HC material but his value is definitely worth $2-3 mil for recruiting!
Most coaches would have won more games if these recruits than Stoops & his O staff have done.