Hello Celebritys

I had the chance to ask Jeremy Clark of PurpleMenace.com a few questions about the latest on TCU recruiting, the future of the Frogs and more. Check out Angry Trey’s Six Pack of Questions below…

Angry Trey: How long have you been writing for Purple Menace?

Jeremy Clark: I started with PurpleMenace in late January of 2005. Actually, I remember my first interview like it was yesterday, it was with Ryan Christian. He was trying to decide if he was going to take a preferred walk-on spot at TCU or Oklahoma State.

Angry Trey: Purple Menace is known for their recruiting news, what is your favorite part about following and writing about TCU recruiting?

Jeremy Clark: My favorite part is getting to know the kids and their families throughout the process. I've developed a lot of friendships over the years with several players and their parents. The other thing I enjoy is to watch these kids grow into men. We talk to these kids when they're 16-17 years old and it's fun to watch how they progress from high school players to college players and on to the NFL, guys like Jerry Hughes. I tell a lot of people this story, over five years ago I was in the middle of doing a recruiting interview with Andy Dalton when he got a call from TCU. He told me he would call back, which honestly I thought I'd have to call him back, kids hardly ever call you back. About ten minutes later he calls me back and said TCU had just offered. It was really cool to hear that emotional high he had getting that offer, I knew right then he was going to commit, and about a week later he did. Reflecting back, it was a neat moment because of the career Andy had. I talked to perhaps the best quarterback in TCU history who five years ago was just looking for an opportunity to help TCU win. Now, he's leaving TCU with a bag full of records and an overwhelming admiration from TCU fans for the heights he helped the program achieve.

Angry Trey: Rivals has TCU's 2011 Class ranked as #26, do you think we will continue to see the Frogs climb up those rankings?

Jeremy Clark: Absolutely. The 2011 class, rankings wise, was the best in the Patterson era. The 2012 class is already starting with a bang with seven commitments, three of which are part of our Rivals 250 Watch List, which ranks the top 250 players in the country. I've told several people, give me the top 20 prospects in Texas for the 2012 class and ask them who their favorites are. I would guarantee that 90-percent of them have TCU among their top five schools. Four or five years ago that wasn't the case. It's extremely impressive the way the coaches have improved recruiting each year, it comes with winning and program progress. It's not just in Texas either. They landed six players from outside of Texas in 2011, and they already have one of Louisiana's best for 2012 in defensive end James McFarland and are among the favorites for other recruits nationwide. I expect this class to achieve greater heights than the 2011 class. It won't compare in quantity with a limited number of scholarships, but the quality will certainly be there.

Angry Trey: Johnathan Gray has narrowed down his choice of schools to 3 and you reported he was recently at a TCU practice. Obviously the Frogs are in the running to land him, but what do you think TCU's chances of signing him are?

Jeremy Clark: I think the chances of landing Johnathan are very good. For a top prospect in the country, Gray is a very humble kid. He takes the process in stride and is getting very good coaching from his father James, who played at Tech, about the process. James is also very humble about the process, you'd never know his son is one of the most coveted players in the country. The Gray's have been very complimentary of each school that has showed them interest and haven't tipped their hands to which way they are leaning. For TCU, the chances are good because of their proximity and program. Most importantly, they graduate their players which is a big plus to the Gray's. If TCU landed Gray, it would start a landslide of recruits to follow suit.

Angry Trey: What kind of career do you think Andy Dalton will have in the NFL?

Jeremy Clark: I believe Andy will have a good career in the NFL. I read somewhere recently that Andy spent a majority of his time at TCU running out of the spread. I thought to myself if that guy had ever watched TCU play. Andy played a significant amount of time under center and is a magician at play-action passes. He has an NFL arm, it isn't the strongest but it is adequate and he has decent speed. The best quality about Andy is his intelligence, he doesn't make too many mistakes, which in my opinion can take him a long way. I don't know if Andy will be a starter in the NFL in his first three years, but I definitely feel he has a chance to have a promising career. He's succeeded at every level so far.

Angry Trey: From what little we saw last season, and what you have seen thus far in the spring, how do you feel Casey Pachall will be at QB for the Frogs this season?

Jeremy Clark: It's funny you ask this because I was just commenting to a few people about Casey's play this spring. Honestly, the offense is moving just fine and he has shown an ability to make plays. It's almost like it was just expected. He hasn't made a lot of mistakes and I even asked Patterson about his play and he mentioned that he's not noticing him because he's not making mistakes. Granted, he hasn't scrimmaged yet, but through the first five practices he's definitely holding the reigns to the offense and is getting respect from his teammates at the same time.

I would like to thank Jeremy for his time. To read more of his work, please check out PurpleMenace.com.