Notre Dame football found a tremendous steal in the transfer portal, get unforeseen upgrade in stellar secondary
Former Notre Dame defensive back Thomas Harper was one of the more underrated transfer additions for the 2023 season, becoming a rock solid nickel who became such an important player for one of the nation’s best secondaries. Not many envisioned Harper to be quite that good when he first transferred from Oklahoma State, but he […]
Former Notre Dame defensive back Thomas Harper was one of the more underrated transfer additions for the 2023 season, becoming a rock solid nickel who became such an important player for one of the nation’s best secondaries. Not many envisioned Harper to be quite that good when he first transferred from Oklahoma State, but he excelled. The Irish staff was forced to find a replacement for Harper this past offseason, and from the looks of it, they have upgraded.
The answer that Mike Mickens and the Notre Dame staff found in the secondary this past offseason was former Arizona State standout Jordan Clark, who is the son of former Pittsburgh Steeler star and now ESPN analyst Ryan Clark. He had a very productive college career for the Sun Devils, but just how good would he be as a part of one of the nation’s top pass defenses?
The easy answer, tremendous. Clark put together another tremendous game against Georgia Tech on Saturday. The stat sheet rarely tells the full story of Clark’s impact, and it didn’t during the 31-13 victory while finishing with just one tackle and one pass breakup. The lack of production actually speaks volumes to how well Clark has been playing. Teams are testing No. 1, and when they do, good things don’t tend to happen.
On the season, Clark has recorded 13 total tackles, one tackle for loss, and three pass breakups for the Irish. That has pushed his career totals to 152 tackles, eight tackles for loss, three interceptions, and 20 pass breakups. Perhaps the most impressive part about Clark, and something that the stats will never do justice to, is just how selfless Clark is as a player.
Even as the starting nickel, Clark has done everything the Irish defense has asked of him. That included playing outside cornerback during the Louisville game due to injuries at the position. Clark wasn’t just passable on the outside, he flourished with the opportunity.
Harper was good for Notre Dame. Clark has been excellent. No matter what role he has to play, he continues to excel. Clark is the perfect example of everything that is good with the transfer portal, and a tremendous find by the Irish staff. They got a tremendous player, great leader, and a perfect ambassador for the program.
