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On National Signing Day, defensive tackle Khairi Clark made his commitment to Florida official by signing his National Letter of Intent and faxing it to the Gators' football offices. And now we can formally congratulate Khairi on the day he became a Florida Gator — which, for one of the staunchest members of this recruiting class, was really the day he committed to Florida back in 2013.
There's not much to say about Clark's recruitment, but his highlights look nice, and his future impact for the Gators might be immense.
Recruitment
Clark is a four-star defensive tackle from South Florida's Chaminade-Madonna High School, and the best thing about him at this moment is his size; he's likely to be a developmental defensive tackle who will look to contribute on the field in his second to third year in the program, given Florida's depth at the position.
But Clark ain't a scrub: He was a very highly-recruited prospect throughout his high school years, having received offers from programs such as Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, Georiga, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oklahoma and South Carolina, among others. And Clark was set to be one of the jewels of a fine Miami recruiting class before he shocked many observers and committed to Florida in June 2013.
Highlights
Future Impact
Clark comes to Florida a little heavy — he's around 320 pounds at the moment, heavier than all of the defensive tackles listed on Florida's roster — and will need to refine his quickness, block-shedding, and mobility. But he's got certainly has all the necessary tools to become a reliable playmaker, likely at nose or zero-technique tackle, in his three to four years at Florida.
Considering Florida's already deep defensive tackle unit, we expect Clark to redshirt his first season at Florida and make his way into the rotation during his sophomore year. With an elite strength and conditioning staff on his side, Clark has the potential to rank highly as one of the top defensive line prospects of the Muschamp era with Sharrif Floyd and Dominique Easley, but will need to put in the work to achieve that status.
