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Clay's team beat my team (Wisconsin Rapids) for the state title two weeks ago so i'm quite familiar with his abilities on the field.
Clay is being regarded as the best running back from the state of Wisconsin in the history of Wisconsin football. He hails from the same high school as former UW player and first team all Big Ten Brent Moss. Many in Racine believe that he is twice the player that Moss was and his performance this last year seems to prove their rationale.
Against us in the state title game, we were able to keep the game close but his ability to break tackles late in the game allowed him to break off some huge runs which won them the state championship and put Clay on everybody's radar. He is an incredible athelete who is 6'2 220 and impressed us by not wearing down even though he also played linebacker when Racine Park was on defense. He runs with an upright style yet is able to make the moves and break tackles in the secondary when breaking long runs.
There are however, two interesting negatives when looking at the recruitment of Clay. First, he is already (or almost) 18 years old as a high school junior, which may explain his dominance over high school competition in the state of Wisconsin. His age could also be a red flag for possible academic issues because i'm not sure if many parents would honestly keep thier son back two years in school for athletic reasons only. Secondly, i have heard other opposing coaches comment on his poor, me-first attitude. At the state semi-final game, he supposedly refused to warm up with his team and was seen coming out on to the field ten minutes into the warmup with his Ipod in before he warmed up on the sidelines by himself.
Overall, Clay is an incredible talent that is without a doubt the top running back prospect to come out of Wisconsin in at least 15 years (Sorry Brian Calhoun, Michael Bennett). I have yet to hear any rumors about where he might be looking but i do know however that the badgers had a number of scouts at this last two games so i'm sure they're keeping an eye on his progress as well as other coaches to see if he can stay focused in order to build on this years accomplishments. I'll be sure to keep my ear open on any other developments and we'll be the first to know when anything goes down.
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