Ralston Valley OL Wilson Clark to join Idaho football

When high school players make their commitments to play college football, some will be fortunate enough to hear from distinguished alumni who played for the football program that they are about to head to. For Ralston Valley offensive lineman , that meant getting to hear from a player he said he grew up “idolizing” and watching as a kid. On Aug. 6, Wilson announced his plans to play college football at the University of Idaho. Clark is a 6-foot-5, 290-pound interior offensive lineman that is ranked the No. 7 offensive lineman and No. 35 overall prospect in Colorado by Prep Redzone Colorado heading into the fall. Three days after announcing his commitment, he received a tweet from Mark Schlereth, a former University of Idaho offensive lineman that went to play in the NFL for the Washington Redskins and Denver Broncos. In his stint with Denver, he helped the Broncos with back-to-back Super Bowls. He currently works as a football analyst and color commentator for Fox Sports and hosts a radio show on 104.3 The Fan radio in Denver.

Go Vandals congratulations Wilson! https://t.co/kMQNX3MHET
— Mark Schlereth (@markschlereth) August 9, 2020

“That was probably the most exciting part of the whole process,” Clark said. “When I was little, I would religiously watch this Broncos Super Bowl XXXII season VHS tape. I remember it highlighting the offensive line, guys like (Gary) Zimmerman and Schlereth and Tom Nalen. I idolized those guys growing up. Being able to get that message from him means a lot. “I’ve spent the last five or six years listening to The Morning Show on The Fan and listening to him and Mike Evans. It’s pretty cool. I consider him one of my childhood idols and someone I try to model how I play after.” Schlereth’s tweet was just one of many to congratulate the senior from Ralston Valley as he joins a long list of seniors to announce their plans to play college football this summer in Colorado. Wilson has been an interior lineman for Ralston Valley and anchored an offensive line that helped the Mustangs average 244.5 passing yards, 129.2 rushing yards and 38.8 points per game in the 2019 season, making them one of the top scoring offenses in Class 5A. Ralston Valley went undefeated during the regular season and reached the semifinals of the Class 5A state playoffs. Though he was not able to go through the recruiting process under normal circumstances due to the pandemic, including getting up to campus and visiting Idaho, Wilson is confident he found the right fit for him at the next level. “A lot of it had to do with the coaching staff,” Clark said. “I really liked the offensive line coach, Kris Cinkovich. I think he’s a great coach and I’ll be able to develop my game really well under him. I like their system a lot, it feels a lot like my high school offensive system.” Since the season ended, Wilson has been hard at work training. He started back in December right after the season ended and has been working ever since. He is one of many high school players working out with Matt McChesney at Six Zero Strength + Fitness Academy. His work takes place both on the field in becoming a better athlete and off the field by watching film to become a better student of the game. “I’m working to be a quicker player, and that’s both from a mental standpoint and a physical standpoint,” Clark said. “I’ve been working on my footwork quite a bit and trying to be a fast guy off the line. I’ve also done quite a bit of studying of the game because I feel like as a player if you understand what’s going on across the board, the game really slows down for you and you can play it at a higher level because you understand and there’s not a question in your mind.” Wilson’s commitment to Idaho was announced just days after he and the rest of the state learned the upcoming football season would be moved to the spring by the Colorado High School Activities Association and state health officials. The move was one that did not catch him by surprise, but he hoped to hear about the official move much earlier than the week before official fall practices were originally scheduled to get underway as it was. With football moving to the spring, Wilson is one of many top recruits who have to weigh whether they will still play football for their high school team in the spring or if they will choose to skip it and enroll early at college. While many top athletes have chosen to still enroll in college early and forego their senior season, Wilson is one that is planning to play for his high school team in the spring. “I was originally looking towards early enrollment and to go up there and get started with college football as soon as I could, but I haven’t considered that since they moved (high school football) to the spring,” Clark said. “Growing up, it meant a lot to me to go to Ralston Valley. I grew up watching the likes to Dan Skipper, who’s playing with the (Detroit) Lions now, and always wanting to be that guy you remember looking up to as a little kid. I don’t feel like it would be the right decision for me from a personal and moral standpoint to leave that behind and leave my teammates behind.” When Wilson and his teammates do take the field in March, they hope to build off their undefeated season and to take a step forward in the playoffs to compete for a state championship. With a shortened seven-game season and limited eight-team playoff field, Wilson feels that every game will be intense in an unprecedented, historic high school spring football season. “It’s going to be interesting and it’s going to be a challenge mentally to go another seven months without a down of football,” Clark said. “I’m attacking it the same way I would be attacking it in December. I have some time to prepare and get better, and I’m pushing towards elevating my guys to that same standard. The way I see it, getting this extra rep time only gives us a better opportunity to be a better team come March.”