Kenny Dillingham called Notre Dame to sell Irish on Arizona State transfer Jordan Clark

Ryan Clark of ESPN took time out of his DC & RC podcast to thank Arizona State head football coach Kenny Dillingham for calling Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman about his son, Jordan Clark.

Clark enrolled at ASU in 2019 and developed into a starting role. On Friday, he entered the transfer portal and quickly took a visit to Notre Dame. While Clark was on that visit, Dillingham phoned Freeman to prop up the player who was leaving the Sun Devils.

“(Dillingham) raved about Jordan, man, for five to 10 minutes about what he was as a leader, how much he worked, how everyone there at Arizona State loved him,” Ryan Clark said.

Today on #DCandRC I got a chance to thank @KennyDillingham for doing something most coaches wouldn’t do. He called Coach Freeman let him know what kind of young man @Jclark21_ was. I am forever grateful to him! He’s going to build a winner, because he’s the right kind of man. pic.twitter.com/uC4sJs9tZq

— Ryan Clark (@Realrclark25) December 6, 2023

Jordan Clark committed to Notre Dame soon after.

“To any kid who Kenny Dillingham walks into your home and tells you he’s going to take care of you, he’s going to care about you far beyond what you can do for Arizona State,” his father said on the podcast. “That’s a true testament to what that man is saying to you when he is sitting in your home.

“Jordan Clark can no longer do things for Kenny Dillingham but he took his time out to say kind words about him to another head coach who he will be competing with for other opportunities.”

This is not the first time Dillingham has received praise from other professionals. Colorado head coach Deion Sanders gave Dillingham acclaim in October when the two teams squared up for a 27-24 thriller that Colorado won in Tempe.

“He is great for that program and he is great for college football. He is a tremendous mind. Offensively, a tremendous mind,” Sanders said. “He is going to be a great head coach.”

Arizona State validated the high praise he has received by rewarding Dillingham with a contract extension after his first season despite leading ASU to a 3-9 overall record.

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