In each of the previous two offseasons, Notre Dame has dipped into the portal to load its nickel position; the Irish staff is hoping that this latest portal nickel is on par with the first.
The Notre Dame staff targeted Arizona State star Jordan Clark to play nickel this season after bringing in Thomas Harper from Oklahoma State to fill that position last year. The Irish coaching staff looked into Clark’s experience as a Sun Devil secondary player. Upon his arrival at the university, a film featuring him and Harper side by side was played for him to see how they saw his role as a Fighting Irish player.
Clark clarified, “They had everything set up to show why I fit in their defense.” “They wanted to let me know that it was specific to me, like I fit the role; it wasn’t like they were coming to get me because I was a guy in need who had hit the portal. It meant the world to me that they paid such close attention to detail and that they truly understood me after watching and studying my film and demonstrating how I fit in. It was obvious because of that and Coach Golden’s NFL experience, as well as all the knowledge I can learn from him here.
My game and yours kind of reflect one another,” Clark went on. “I have a lot of respect for him and what he accomplished last year on defense; he’s a smart football player. I can definitely see myself playing this role in the future. The 5-10, 185-pound defensive back was not entirely healthy for most of the 2024 season, despite still contributing to the Sun Devils’ strong performance on the field. In Arizona State’s opening game of the season, Clark sustained a deep contusion to his quadriceps, but he did not miss a match.
