One of Syracuse’s current three star verbal commitments in the recruiting class of 2015 will be visiting the Florida Gators at the end of the month.
Steven Clark gave SU his verbal commitment in mid-December, just weeks after decommitting from Southern Alabama.  Now, the defensive tackle from Alabama will be visiting the Gators at the end of the month.
Should Orange fans be worried?¬† Probably not.¬† Currently, Clark has no offer from the Gators and really enjoyed his time at Syracuse the last time he took an official visit.¬† Clark almost immediately committed to SU after visiting the school in the beginning of December.¬† Receiving an offer from the Gators, shouldn’t change much.
On the other hand, Orange fans should always be wary of recruits coming and going before officially signing on National Signing Day (Feb. 4) because of the changes in the program.  In just two years, the Orange has already brought in a new head coach, built a new practice facility, made a bowl game, had a disappointing season, and most recently, lost its former offensive coordinator and top recruiter, George McDonald, to North Carolina State.
Clark, a 6-foot-3, 290-pound tackle is an important verbal to retain for the Orange.   Being from Alabama, Syracuse managed to get a commitment from SEC country.  For 2015, only two other recruits are from the area (both from Georgia): defensive lineman Tyler Cross and defensive back Christopher Fredrick.
The defensive recruits for 2015 become important to the 2015 season immediately because of graduating seniors.  The Orange will lose both starting defensive ends, and its nose tackle.  Robert Welsh, Eric Crume, and Micah Robinson will leave a huge hole that needs to be filled on defense.  The team has some veterans like Ron Thompson and Wayne Williams – who hasn’t even played that much.  After them, the depth chart is very murky.
Ultimately, seeing that verbal commitment Clark is visiting some bigger programs should not worry SU fans too much.  As a defensive tackle, he has a chance to impact the team sooner rather than later.  The incoming recruiting class currently has plenty of defensive ends, but only two tackles.  Until commitments officially sign, speculation will be wild.  Clark has already proven his interest in the Orange, but until that pen hits the paper, nothing is set in stone.
Posted:  Jason Weingold
