How Rock Hill’s Malik Clark became the best prep wide receiver in the state

Confidence, work ethic and discipline.

That’s what elevated Malik Clark’s game to the level it has.

The senior four-star wide receiver out of Rock Hill High School is ranked by 247Sports as the top wide receiver and No. 2 player overall in South Carolina.

Clark led the Bearcats with 35 receptions for 679 yards and seven touchdowns as a junior last year.

And it’s an unwavering belief in himself and his tenacity that got the 6-foot-1 wideout to where he is.

“You got to know that you’re going to be the one to make the play,” Clark said. “You can’t wait for the next man to make the play. You got to be the one to step up and make the play. You got to be confident in your ability to do so. That comes with work. If you work in the offseason, and you trust your work, then you’re going to be way more confident going into the season.”

Clark had the physical capabilities to succeed.

Rock Hill wide receiver coach and strength and conditioning coordinator Tyler Klipa said Clark was “very raw” as a receiver coming into the program as a freshman, but Clark’s mobility and frame showed promise.

The wideout clocked 4.97 seconds in the 40-yard dash in his first summer workouts with the team. It’s a time that Klipa said showed potential of elite speed if developed correctly.

Clark’s speed, and his receiving ability, did develop. He became a varsity starter as a sophomore, and his junior season ended with an all-state honorable mention.

At the Carolina Coaches Combine in April, Clark posted combine bests in the 40 (4.35) and the vertical jump (30.7 inches) en route to overall MVP honors.

“I think confidence is a huge thing that the great ones have, knowing that they’re better than the guy across from them, and Malik’s in that position right now,” Klipa said. “That’s the way he’s progressed from his freshman year to now. Yes, he’s grown as an athlete, grown as a wide receiver, but now seeing tremendous growth as just an overall competitor is what sets him up to be really special moving forward.”

There are still areas for improvement in Clark’s game.

He has been working on his route-running and expanding his route tree, also saying that he feels his ability to catch in traffic is an surprisingly underrated part of his game.

Klipa said Clark’s unselfishness and willingness to block is something that sets him apart as both a player and a leader.

“What goes unnoticed sometimes is Malik just loves the game, genuinely loves to play football,” Klipa said. “Inside of that, he just loves to work, works hard. It’s been very seldom that we’ve ever had to fuss at him or get on him and drag him along to get some work done.”

Another thing Clark attributes to his development as a player is running track.

Clark finished third in the 100 meters and ninth in the 200 at the SCHSL 5A state track meet in May. He was also a member of Rock Hill’s 400 relay team that finished fourth.

Klipa is a big supporter of athletes from other sports participating in track and field. He believes that it improves both the physical and mental fortitude of those athletes like it’s helped Clark.

“It makes you a lot more explosive,” Clark said. “It helps your top-end speed. It really makes you that much more of a threat on the football field because people have to respect your speed.”

Clark has huge goals for his senior season.

Rock Hill finished 6-5 last season, the program’s first winning record during Clark’s time there. He wants to keep that upward momentum going, especially in head coach Randy Birch’s inaugural season.

He also wants to break Rock Hill’s single-season receiving yards record.

“I didn’t do it by myself,” Clark said. “I was part of a team that helped changed the program. (In 2020), before I got here, they hadn’t won a game. Then we won two games, two games. Last season, the class of 2024 played a big role, but I feel like we helped flip this program around. We got it going in a good direction. And we’re bringing a lot more publicity and a lot more respect coming to Rock Hill that we had lost.”

Clark has yet to announce his college commitment to a school, but his front-runners are Auburn, Florida State, North Carolina, N.C. State and South Carolina.