BudClark

Clark is a twitched-up, do-it-all playmaker with sideline-to-sideline speed and good instincts in coverage. A sixth-year senior and four-year starter for the Horned Frogs, he played all over the formation during his career, seeing snaps in the box, in the slot, and at free safety. He’s a loose, flexible athlete who can flip his hips and strafe laterally without breaking stride or slowing down. He has top-tier leaping ability and the body control to contest passes in his area. He reads route combinations and the quarterback’s eyes to diagnose opposing play designs and regularly undercuts routes to get his hands on the ball. He has a talent for getting his hands into the catch point, and his length shows up consistently in coverage. His ball production shows that, with 15 picks and 20 pass breakups in four seasons. Clark shows good range in the secondary and has a natural feel for spacing. He has good makeup speed to close the gap when trailing or when he loses a step in transition. When he’s coming downhill to make a tackle, he typically does a good job of staying balanced and disciplined in pursuit; he chops his feet, breaks down, and makes the tackle. He flies in on the blitz like lightning. 

Clark has a slim frame and lacks power as a tackler. He has some coverage busts in the back end and occasionally makes a false step and finds himself out of position to make the play. He trusts his ability to make up space a little too much and ends up mistiming his jump or undercutting the play. He needs to clean up his tackling technique; too often, he dives at the ankles and fails to wrap up.