12/16/2020 football Edit

Rutgers Scarlet Knights Football Signee Bio: DB Alijah Clark

Richie O'Leary • TheKnightReport

Publisher

Camden High School (NJ) four-star defensive back Alijah Clark has officially signed his letter of intent and is now a Rutgers Scarlet Knight.

FREE PREMIUM ACCESS UNTIL LATE JANUARY — CLICK HERE FOR MORE!!

Statistics

• In his senior year, Clark had six rushes for 55 yards, 22 receptions for 374 yards and four touchdowns and 27 total tackles in just five games played.

• About a year ago, he finished his junior year with 17 carries for 174 yards and two touchdowns, 16 receptions for 285 yards and five scores, 34 total tackles, seven pass deflections, five interceptions and one fumble recovery for a touchdown.

Recruitment

• Originally pledged to Rutgers on Feb. 6, 2020.

• Chose Rutgers over 11 other offers from the likes of Boston College, Maryland, Miami, Michigan, NC State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Syracuse, Temple and West Virginia.

Honors

• USA Today All-New Jersey offensive honorable mention

Did You Know?

• As if it wasn't already obvious based on the stats, Clark also played wide receiver for his high school football team.

• The New Jersey native will join the banks with former high school teammate Donald Williams, who is currently working out at cornerback.

They Said It

• Camden head coach Dwayne Savage: “They’re getting a kid who has upside on the defensive side of the ball. A lot of his focus up until now was at wide receiver, so it could be unbelievable once he gets settled down on the defensive side. His hips are great and he has a good change of direction. He’s a long corner with ball skills so in bump and run coverage, he has the potential to be phenomenal. He’s a happy-go-lucky kid. COVID-19 aside, he would give any coach a hug. He’s confident in himself and he’s a leader off the field. He will always be the first one on the field and the last one off the field trying to make himself better. As a defensive back, the one thing you have to own in your craft is that back pedal. Once he gets comfortable with the back pedal and the weaving, that’s really going to help him out. I know that’s what he has been working on all offseason. It’s ironic because when he was little, he always told his parents that he was going to play at Rutgers one day. It’s a school he has always dreamed about playing for. He also sees Coach Fran [Brown] as an uncle and someone he can talk to about personal problems away from the field. Fran went to school with Alijah’s mom and knows most of his family, so he’ll have someone to talk to.”

• Rivals Mid-Atlantic Recruiting Analyst Adam Friedman: "Clark looked very impressive at the NLG New Jersey 7-on-7 Tournament this summer. The Rutgers commit has grown an inch or two and added weight while dropping his body fat percentage. Clark has also rounded out his skill set. He has the footwork and instincts to play almost all of the positions in the secondary, and his instincts are top notch. Clark has the speed to stick with nearly any receiver that comes his way, and he is physical enough to out-muscle receivers for jump balls. Clark has the look of a day-one contributor at the college level"

• TKR Film Analyst Alec Simpson: "When watching Clark on tape, the first thing that stands out immediately is his physicality. On the very first play, he shows that he wants to make his presence known on the field with his physical brand of football. He's a kid that does a great job at honing in on his defender and using his blazing speed to attack the ball carrier swiftly. Clark is also not afraid to get in there and cause some havoc. Another thing that stands out is his size, as he looks to be a legit 6-foot-2, 180 pounds. Add in his length and it all plays to his advantage, especially when playing in coverage. He also has some crazy good instincts, he jumps out as soon as the ball is in the air and does a terrific job at tracking it to make a play on it.

"The one aspect of Clark’s game that could use some improvement is his strength. He’s a very lanky at 180-pounds, but if he was able to add about 10-15 pounds more of muscle it could really set him apart to make him ELITE. With the physical aspect he already brings to his game, some more time in the weight room can only make him that much of a better player."