Reese Clark remains committed to Temple
Temple’s first verbal commitment from the 2022 class said his plans haven’t changed despite Monday’s news.
Reese Clark, a 6-foot-4, 200-pound wide receiver from St. Joseph’s Prep School, told OwlScoop.com Monday afternoon that he still plans on signing with Temple, even though the university decided to part ways with third-year head coach Rod Carey Monday.
“It doesn’t really change anything for me,” Clark told OwlScoop.com during a Monday phone call. “I plan to stay. I just talked to coach (interim head coach and wide receivers coach Thad) Ward on the phone not too long ago, so everything is pretty much set.”
Clark’s relationship with Temple recruiting coordinator and running backs coach Gabe Infante, the former longtime head coach at St. Joe’s Prep, is the main reason he is choosing Temple. Clark connected with Infante back in the eighth grade, when he began recruiting Clark to join the Hawks’ wide receiver room, Clark said.
“He was my coach their freshman year until he came over to Temple. He always was in support of my family with anything they needed and things like that,” Clark said. “He was always reaching out to me to make sure I am OK with anything. So he’s built a good relationship with my parents, and that’s why they are so fond of him. I can say he’s been there to support me through good and bad things, so it’s easy to put my trust in him.”
Before Monday morning, Clark originally planned to visit Temple today, where he was going to meet with Carey and offensive coordinator Mike Uremovich. Ward discussed the situation with Clark over the phone, and the planned visit is going to be rescheduled for a later date, Clark said.
Before speaking with Ward, Clark reached out to former high school teammate and Temple freshman running back Malik Cooper. Cooper revealed the reports of Carey’s departure were true, which left Clark uneasy for a short period of time.
“At first, I was nervous because I did not know what that had to do with me,” Clark said. “Now that I know that it doesn’t really change anything that has to do with my situation, I don’t really have much to say about it.”
In the near future, Clark is going to be in communication with Ward. His official visit is scheduled to take place in a few weeks, and he can sign with the Owls after the visit, Clark said.
Clark’s goal is to perform at a high-level and receive a degree in business management from Temple’s Fox School of Business.
“The most important thing for me is being able to get a chance to perform and play,” Clark said, “so I want to put my best self forward regardless of who the coach is. So they can see I am here to play football and get an education.”