Missouri DB Marcus Clarke Thinks Tigers Have Something Special
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Missouri Tigers defensive back Marcus Clarke knows good things can take time. He spent his first two seasons at Miami, a natural landing spot for Clarke coming out of high school, having spent his entire life in the sunshine state.
But he didn't see the field a ton for the Hurricanes and entered the transfer portal after a coaching regime change. Now on the other side of the country in Columbia, Missouri, the third-year sophomore from Winter Park, Fla. finally feels at home.
Clarke's got a high football IQ and played for Tigers DC Blake Baker when Baker held the same role with the Hurricanes, so learning this system has gone smoothly. The most difficult part of the transition for Clarke so far? The weather.
"Definitely the coldest practice [I've been a part of]. For sure," laughed Clarke when asked about the climate at Tuesday's practice. "Just the weather. Everything [else] felt natural to me. Just playing football, learning this game. Day one stuff."
It's got to help that he has some familiar faces to guide him both on and off the field. Aside from Baker, who Clarke credits as being a big part of his decision to transfer to Mizzou, Clarke played high school ball against Tigers teammate Joseph Charleston and knew Missouri linebacker Ty'Ron Hopper before arriving as well. He says that the whole team, though, has made him feel like part of the family.
"It was just mostly about connecting with the players. Just coming in after fall camp, it's like an awkward time to try to get to know everybody," said Clarke. "But everybody took me in...next thing you know, we just felt like a brotherhood and I just feel like I've been here since the start of everything."
Despite the smooth transition, nothing's come easy for the defensive back, even in 2022. Clarke hasn't exactly been a staple in this Missouri lineup as of yet. In fact, he got his first tackle in Mizzou's last game when the Tigers were narrowly defeated by Florida. Clarke knows that a larger role will take some time, and so will Missouri's progress as a program, but both look like promising prospects in his eyes.
"I can see the potential in this team. We've definitely got something special going on," expressed Clarke. "Things don't just happen overnight. It's gonna take time for things to go through."
The Tigers will get their next chance to take a big step forward this Saturday against Vanderbilt. It'll be the first Missouri homecoming for Clarke, and perhaps, the first conference win for the Tigers.
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