Mike Rumph knew Miami’s secondary needed speed, so Marcus Clarke became a top priority
It wasn’t always obvious Marcus Clarke was a cornerback. The three-star prospect from Winter Park was actually mostly an offensively player throughout his high school career, typically prioritizing his play at wide receiver to his play at defensive back.
Mike Rumph saw a little bit of himself in the athlete, though. Rumph also split his time between receiver and defensive back at Atlantic, then blossomed when Chuck Pagano moved him to cornerback on Rumph’s first day of practice with thee Miami Hurricanes.
“It was the best decision I ever made,” the cornerbacks coach said Wednesday in Coral Gables.
Rumph’s hope is Clarke will similarly blossom at Miami (6-6, 4-4 Atlantic Coast) and bring something his position group sorely needs: an infusion of speed.
“My room needs speed,” Rumph said.
Rumph has had a type he prefers on the recruiting trail. He likes corners who were similar to him -- long, tall and physical enough to play press man coverage. DJ Ivey, who often starts opposite fellow cornerback Trajan Bandy and could do the same Thursday against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs in the Independence Bowl, fits the profile. Christian Williams, the Hurricanes’ National Signing Day prize in February, fits the profile.
Clarke is different than those 6-foot-1 cornerbacks. The 5-11, 185-pound cornerback still has the length Rumph looks for, but his greatest strength is his speed.
“I think he has all the tools to make him a good corner,” Rumph said.
Clarke, the No. 62 cornerback in the 247Sports.com composite rankings for the Class of 2020, was clocked at 4.57 seconds in the 40-yard dash at The Opening Orlando regional in February. He piled up more than 2,500 all-purpose yards in his varsity career and returned eight punts for touchdowns. As a senior, he recorded 15 tackles, broke up four passes, forced a fumble and grabbed an interception despite rarely playing in the secondary before this season.
Miami offered Clarke in June after Rumph evaluated him. The Hurricanes wanted him to come to Paradise Camp later in the month, so Rumph could get his hands on him. Clarke worked with the cornerbacks and Rumph liked what he saw. He was the fastest player inside the Carol Soffer Indoor Practice Facility when recruits raced across the field to wrap up the camp. The athlete quickly became a top priority and Miami landed his oral commitment in July.
“I coached him up on some corner things, and he did it exactly how I said to do it and had success doing it,” Rumph said. “Now all I’ve got to do is teach him to play press and tackle. ... He can probably get his eyes around and find the ball, and take it back for a touchdown, so I’m really excited to see what I can transform him into.”
If Bandy returns for his senior season, the Hurricanes are currently on track to have six cornerbacks on scholarship — Bandy, Ivey, Williams, Clarke, Al Blades Jr. and Te’Cory Couch — but Rumph wants to add one more to the 2020 recruiting class on Signing Day next year.
Miami’s top target at the position right now is probably Daran Branch. The three-star cornerback from Amite in Louisiana orally committed to the Hurricanes in July, flipped to the Mississippi Rebels in November and didn’t sign in the early signing period after Mississippi fired former coach Matt Luke. The defensive back plans to officially visit Miami before NSD.
Miami also expanded its board at the position Friday when it offered Jamorri Colson, a three-star athlete from Irwin County in Orcilla, Georgia. Simply building up depth, Rumph said, could help with some of the Hurricanes’ third-down issues.
“Since I’ve been here, I’ve only had five or six corners on scholarship. I’ve never had seven, eight corners on scholarship, so I’m used to dealing with a small number,” Rumph said. “If I have a little more depth, that’d probably help the special teams out a little bit and be able to contribute on third down with a few more guys on the field at the same time.”
