Chapel Hill’s Joseph Clark Commits to Texas Tech

One of East Texas' most physical defenders made his college commitment Saturday during a trip to Lubbock.

Chapel Hill senior Joseph Clark tweeted early Saturday afternoon that he committed to Texas Tech.

ETSN.fm caught up with Clark on the phone just before 3 p.m. Clark said the opportunity to play high-major Division I football and his comfort level with head coach Kliff Kingsbury and the Texas Tech coaching staff led to his commitment.

"I've been wanting to play some big-time football since I was a little kid. The Big 12 is where it's at," Clark said. "Coach Kingsbury and all the coaches made me feel at home. I just loved it."

The 5-foot-9, 175-pounder has played linebacker and safety for Chapel Hill since his sophomore season, the Bulldogs' 2011 Class 3A Division I state championship campaign. He will play in the secondary when he arrives at Texas Tech.

The Red Raiders are 1 of 3 Division I FBS offers for Clark, who also has offers from Air Force and Texas State. Clark holds additional offers from McNeese State and Incarnate Word, both Division I FCS programs.

Clark joins Whitehouse quarterback Patrick Mahomes as Texas Tech's two East Texas commitments in the 2014 class.

Clark, who received his Texas Tech offer June 24 -- 12 days after the Red Raiders' satellite camp at Longview's Lobo Stadium -- had 104 tackles, four for loss, one sack, three interceptions, and three forced fumbles during Chapel Hill's 3-7 season in 2012. He led the Bulldogs in rushing, carrying 94 times for 712 yards and six touchdowns.

As a sophomore, Clark started at safety and finished among the Bulldogs' leading tacklers when Chapel Hill won the 3A Division I state championship with a 15-0 record. He was also the Bulldogs’ fourth-leading rusher that season, finishing with 51 carries for 406 yards and five touchdowns.

Texas Tech has been extremely active recruiting East Texas this spring and summer. The Red Raiders have offered 10 members of the region's 2014 class and six members of the region's 2015 class.

East Texans With A Texas Tech Offer

• Kris Boyd, 2015 CB, Gilmer
• K.D. Cannon, 2014 WR, Mount Pleasant
• Joseph Clark, 2014 DB, Chapel Hill -- committed to Texas Tech
• Key'Vantanie "KeKe" Coutee, 2015, Lufkin -- committed to Texas
• Terrell Cuney, 2014 C, Jasper -- committed to Texas
• Justin Dunning, 2015 S/ATH, Whitehouse
• Davion Hall, 2014 ATH, Liberty-Eylau -- committed to Baylor
• JaMycal Hasty, 2015 RB, Longview
• Zaycoven Henderson, 2014 DT, Longview -- committed to TCU
• Dorian Leonard, 2014 WR, Longview -- committed to Texas
• Daylon Mack, 2015 DT, Gladewater
• Patrick Mahomes, 2014 QB, Whitehouse -- committed to Texas Tech
• Jarrell Owens, 2014 LB/DE, Palestine -- committed to TCU
• Larry Pryor, 2015 S, Sulphur Springs
• Kevin Shorter, 2014 RB/ATH, Newton
• Josh Walker, 2014 LB, Gilmer -- committed to Texas A&M

2014 East Texas Football Players With Division I FBS Offers

• Terry Ausborne, S, John Tyler, 5-10, 175 -- offer from SMU (1)
• Blake Bogenschutz, QB, Carthage, 6-1, 175 -- committed to UTSA (1)
• Jacob Bragg, OL, Nacogdoches, 6-4, 310 -- committed to Kansas; additional offers from Louisiana Tech, Oregon State, ULM (4)
• K.D. Cannon, WR, Mount Pleasant, 6-0, 160 — offers from Arizona, Baylor, Clemson, Florida State, Houston, Miami, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Purdue, SMU, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Utah, Vanderbilt, Virginia, West Virginia (21)
• Caleb Chumley, QB/ATH, Pine Tree, 6-5, 220 -- offers from Houston, Kansas, Louisiana Tech, Memphis, New Mexico State, North Texas, Oregon State, Texas State (8)
• Joseph Clark, RB/S, Chapel Hill, 5-9, 175 -- committed to Texas Tech; additional offers from Air Force, Texas State (3)
• Kade Clayton, ATH, Tyler Grace, 6-0, 180 — offer from SMU, Texas State (2)
• Terrell Cuney, C, Jasper, 6-3, 260 — committed to Texas; additional offers from TCU, Texas Tech (3)
• Adrian Goodacre, OL, Carthage, 6-4, 310 -- offer from ULL (1)
• Terian "Tee" Goree, WR, Carthage, 6-2, 168 -- offer from Colorado State, Louisiana Tech, Memphis, ULL, ULM, UTSA (6)
• Davion Hall, ATH, Liberty-Eylau, 6-2, 191 — committed to Baylor; additional offers from Alabama, Arkansas, LSU, SMU, Stanford, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech (9)
• Zaycoven Henderson, DT, Longview, 6-1, 287 — committed to TCU; additional offers from Baylor, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, SMU, Texas Tech (7)
• Willy Ivery, ATH, Sulphur Springs, 5-8, 180 -- offers from Colorado State, New Mexico, North Texas, Texas State, Toledo (5)
• Jamal Jeffery, WR, Lufkin, 5-9, 165 — committed to Texas A&M (1)
• Chris Jefferson, ATH, Athens, 6-2, 200 -- committed to SMU (1)
• Dorian Leonard, WR, Longview, 6-4, 200 — committed to Texas; offers from Florida State, Oklahoma, Oregon State, San Diego State, Texas Tech (6)
• Reggie Long, LB, Whitehouse, 6-0, 218 -- offer from Army, New Mexico State (2)
• Ben Luckett, RB, Palestine, 6-0, 195 -- offer from ULM (1)
• Patrick Mahomes, QB, Whitehouse, 6-3, 203 — committed to Texas Tech; additional offers from Houston, North Texas, Rice (4); also has Arizona, Arkansas, Houston baseball offers
• Stephan Maxey, DB, Longview, 5-11, 185 -- offer from UTSA (1)
• Jarrell Owens, LB/DE, Palestine, 6-3, 230 -- committed to TCU; additional offers from Texas State, Texas Tech, ULM (4)
• Greg Roberts, DE, Nacogdoches, 6-5, 210 -- offer from Baylor (1)
• Anthony Rhone, LB, Texas High, 6-0, 205 -- committed to SMU (1)
• O'Keeron Rutherford, WR, Carthage, 6-6, 181 -- offer from ULM (1)
• Anthony Sanders, ATH, Athens, 5-11, 185 -- offer from ULM (1)
• Kevin Shorter, RB/S, Newton, 6-0, 190 — offers from Arkansas, Army, Baylor, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Houston, Kansas, LSU, Maryland, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oklahoma, San Diego State, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, UCLA, ULM, Utah (21)
• Brian Thlang, OL, Palestine, 6-2, 290 -- committed ULM (1)
• Josh Walker, RB/LB, Gilmer, 6-1, 220 — committed to Texas A&M; additional offers from Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech (4)
• D.J. Williams, DT, Lufkin, 6-4, 293 -- offers from Miami, Missouri, North Texas, Oklahoma (4)
• Jeffery Wilson, RB, Elkhart, 6-0, 190 -- offers from New Mexico State, North Texas, Texas State, ULM (4)