Out-of-Door Academy football star navigates recruiting chaos

The college football recruiting landscape is booming.

It extends to all corners of the country, and when international talents are enticing, goes beyond our borders. 

That constitutes a challenge for players trying to cut through the noise. In Florida alone, that noise can be deafening.

Allen Clark knows what it’s like. He’s faced it first-hand, and it’s taught him to be a billboard for himself by leading with one attitude.

“Confidence,” said The Out-of-Door Academy senior, who was a record-setting running back/linebacker for the program. “I know what I can do, and I know what I can provide to help a team out.”

National Signing Day came and went Feb. 4, and still, Clark hadn’t signed anywhere. He carries over 20 offers from collegiate programs following an exemplary high school career, but remains undecided about his future.

Bethune-Cookman of NCAA Division I FCS sits high on his list after an official visit in October. He’s also considering in-state NAIA programs like Kaiser, Ave Maria and Florida Memorial.

His recruitment began with a bang thanks to an offer from Florida Atlantic in November 2023. Clark said it just didn’t end up being a good fit when then-defensive passing game coordinator Corey Bell left to become cornerbacks coach at Mississippi State.

Clark’s decision will come in time. A wealth of opportunities makes that decision tougher, and that’s a good problem to have. He just isn’t 100% sold on any one destination.

“He wants to stay close to home and he wants to be able to play early,” said Josh Medeiros, ODA’s director of recruiting/football operations and special teams coordinator. “So those are the two big things that we've been looking for in schools.”

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It’s no surprise he’s garnered plenty of interest. Over the past four seasons, Clark became the greatest player ODA has ever fielded.

He rushed for 4,178 yards and 59 touchdowns on 579 carries throughout his high school career. As a junior, he racked up 1,524 yards and 22 touchdowns — both single-season program records.

At 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, he barreled through opponents on a weekly basis. ODA went 31-10 with him on the roster, and in 2023, won the then-SSAC Class 4A state title.

The numbers speak for themselves — they’ve advocated plenty for him. In this modern recruiting landscape, though, numbers only get you so far.

Trying to stand out from dozens of talented Class of 2026 running backs in this state begins with the understanding the current priorities for college coaches. 

Opportunities for three- and four-star recruits at the FBS and FCS levels simply aren’t as plentiful as they used to be. The transfer portal plays a larger role now than it ever has before.

“The feedback we're getting from a lot of the coaches is, ‘Hey, I have 25 scholarships. I'm only taking five high school kids and the rest are going to be 20 transfers,’” Medeiros said. “‘Because I need kids who can play right away.’”

Powerhouse teams in FCS and Division II have become feeders for FBS programs. Then there’s teams in Div. II, Div. III and NAIA that feed talent to FCS teams.

The transfer portal has become the wild, wild West — lacking rules or stability — and ODA’s coaches must successfully navigate its changing flow to market their star player best.

While accounting for how transfers will impact rosters at the next level, his coaches have also carefully considered what tapes they’re sending out. That’s no easy task when Clark is the one under the microscope.

“Most coaches, when you send them tape, are only watching the first 30 seconds to a minute,” Medeiros said. “We can do a 30-minute highlight of Allen — his whole career is pretty much a highlight tape. But no coach is going to sit there and watch the whole thing.”

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No two running back rooms in college football look the same. Each one is crafted to the specific needs of the team and to the style of play organized by the head coach and offensive coordinator. 

Bethune-Cookman running backs coach Pat Brown told Medeiros he was looking for “explosion.” He wanted to see Clark’s ability to break off big runs.

Tim Glanton, the running backs coach at Division II’s Shorter, was interested in yards after contact. He was in search of a power back and wanted to see Clark’s ability to shed tackles.

For any program interested in the ODA star, Medeiros and his fellow coaches sort through his top plays and pick out a handful which match that program’s needs.

But it’s also about selling coaches on Clark’s character. He’s the son of two military veterans, Frankie and Lena Clark, who each served tours in Afghanistan. His older brother, Frankie Clark Jr., is a freshman cornerback at Division III’s John Carroll.

“My dad's all about discipline and getting the work done early,” said Allen Clark. “Him and my mom, they reinforce that in me every day.”

Communication is also critical. ODA’s coaches have hammered that — hard. They’ve pushed Clark to do the same in order to earn his desired opportunities.

That goes beyond initially reaching out to college coaches and expressing interest in their programs. It means a proactive, sustained line of messaging.

“The little things are how you stand out,” Medeiros said. “They get, on average, thousands of messages on (X) and email per week. It’s the constant repetition and constant interaction of building genuine relationships.”

Medeiros anticipates that Clark will make his decision in early- or mid-March. He’s waiting until Hollway and Medeiros return from recruiting fairs this month to see if more offers will come.

Regardless, the hard part of finding ways to stand out is over. Picking from the many college programs that want him is the fun part.

All the noise hasn’t slowed him down.