SIGNED: QB Brendon Clark

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Manchester (Va.) Midlothian quarterback Brendon Clark has submitted his National Letter of Intent to Notre Dame.

Rivals: 3.0 stars (No. 11 player in Virginia and No. 19 pro-style quarterback in the nation)
BGI Grade: 4.0 (top-250 player)
Upside Grade: 4.5

Recorded a 4.74-second 40-yard dash, a 4.37-second pro shuttle and a 32.5-inch vertical jump at Nike Football's The Opening Regional Charlotte April 15.

SENIOR SEASON: Completed 133 of 227 passes for 2,326 yards with 35 touchdowns and one interception, and rushed 796 yards and 17 touchdowns on 102 carries.

JUNIOR SEASON: Connected on 165 of 272 throws for 2,006 yards with 28 touchdowns and four interceptions.

SOPHOMORE SEASON: Completed 167 of 319 passes for 2,373 yards with 18 scores and eight picks.

• 2018 Virginia All-Region 6B Offensive Player of the Year.
• 2018 Virginia All-Region 6B First-Team.
• Elite 11 Finals participant.
• Selected to play in the Big River Rivalry All-Star game in Virginia, but did not play.
• Selected to play in 2019 Polynesian Bowl.
• Virginia Group 6 state champion.

POWER FIVE OFFERS: Clemson, Duke, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee and Wake Forest

After Notre Dame lost a commitment from four-star and eventual Michigan commit Cade McNamara, the Irish made a big push for Wisconsin pledge and four-star Graham Mertz.

Mertz announced in June that he would be sticking with the Badgers, so the Irish turned to Clark, who was fresh off a decommitment from Wake Forest.

Notre Dame hosted Clark for an official visit June 15 and the Virginia talent made a public commitment to Notre Dame July 4, choosing the Irish over additional finalists Clemson and Tennessee.

Clark was primarily recruited by offensive coordinator Chip Long and quarterbacks coach Tommy Rees.

• Born on Aug. 22, 2000.
• Trains independently with Malcolm Bell, a former college quarterback at North Carolina Central and current offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Trinity Episcopal School in Richmond, Va.

Expect Clark to redshirt as a true freshman in 2019.

Clark has the kind of build you want in a quarterback that will be asked to play in the pocket and also make plays with his legs. He is also a good athlete, which we saw this summer when at 6-2 and 213 pounds he ran a 4.74 in the 40-yard dash, posted a 4.37 pro shuttle and jumped 32.5 inches at the Nike Football The Opening Regional at Charlotte in April.

Clark will need work mechanically, but he has a lot of tools as a passer. He has a strong arm and is an effortless thrower. At times he is a bit too much of an “all arm” thrower, but that can be worked out quickly with good coaching. When he does drive off his back foot the ball jumps out of his hand. Clark throws a really nice deep ball and his touch in the red zone is outstanding. He is a fearless thrower as well and puts a lot of balls into tough spots.

His delivery is a bit long and there is room for him to improve from an accuracy standpoint, but he does have good arm speed, he shows a good feel for ball placement and he throws with really good timing. Combined with his arm strength, his timing and feel for ball placement is why he throws so few interceptions. I've also seen him make some really tough downfield throws in really bad weather conditions, which is important for a quarterback playing at Notre Dame.

Clark shows a good feel in the pocket, and his pocket presence makes him hard to sack. He anticipates pressure well and quickly works out of trouble. What I like is that even though he'll tuck it, run and make plays with his legs, his first thought is to step away from trouble and still be in position to throw the ball. Clark does a good job keeping his eyes downfield when he's moving around, which makes him a dangerous player due to his ability to get the ball down the field and over the top of the defense.

As a senior he was even more effective as a runner, both on scrambles and on designed runs, which added to his value and improved upside grade.

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