Clark clears air about Tennessee visit
Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) offensive lineman Jakai Clark didn’t attend the Auburn BBQ in July. He instead visited Tennessee.
But Clark, an Auburn commitment, didn’t have much choice.
“I didn’t have a ride,” Clark said. “My parents couldn’t take me and (teammate/Auburn commitment) Owen (Pappoe) was going to Auburn, but said his car was full. It was either visit Tennessee with (teammate/Tennessee commitment) Wanya (Morris) or sit at home by myself and stare at the wall.”
Clark decided to spend the day in Knoxville with Morris, Morris’ mom and another friend.
“I’ve been best friends with Wanya since I was 10, so it was just me going and hanging out with him,” Clark said. “It wasn’t a recruiting visit. I had never talked to Tennessee and I barely talked to the coaches while I was there.”
Still, Auburn felt a little snubbed.
“I originally sent them a text saying that I wasn’t going to Tennessee, but I made a last-minute decision to go,” Clark said. “So they were a little upset and told me that I need to communicate better, and I understand that.”
Clark plans to visit Auburn for its home opener Sept. 8. He’s talked to the coaches on the phone.
“And they have gotten over it, but I want to sit down with them face-to-face and clear the air even more,” Clark said.
Clark’s visit to Auburn for the home opener against Alabama State will be the first of many visits to Auburn this season. He also plans to return for both the LSU and Tennessee games and hopes to bring Morris along with him.
“While I was at Tennessee, I talked to (Morris) about Auburn,” Clark said. “He said he’d think about coming to Auburn for an official visit, maybe for the LSU or Tennessee game. I told him he should come to the Tennessee game so he could watch the team he’s committed to play the team we want him to go to.”
Although Clark is confident Morris will visit Auburn in the fall, he isn’t confident about the Tigers’ chances of changing Morris’ commitment.
“I don’t know exactly how he feels about Auburn,” Clark said. “But I know he feels really good about Tennessee.”