Louisville QB commit Pierce Clarkson plans to build 'special class'

Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco quarterback Pierce Clarkson shocked just about everyone when he committed to Louisville in late January. The four-star quarterback was one of the first 2023 signal-callers to shut things down. And his announcement was one of the more unique in recent memory.

Clarkson announced his commitment morning to the Cardinals via 13 billboards that his family purchased in the Louisville area to made his intentions public. The billboard read: ‘Dear Louisville, I’m home. Let’s build something special together. Love, Pierce Clarkson.’

Since then, the nation’s No. 11 quarterback in the On3 Consensus has been vocal on social media and in just about any setting he can find, proclaiming what Louisville is building. He’s using his 7v7 connections and relationships along the West Coast to recruit for the Cardinals. And he isn’t just limiting it to the state of California.

“All of the coaches on the staff and the people who work with the program and the players, we’re going to build something special together,” he told On3’s Chad Simmons earlier this week. “And we’re doing it as we speak, recruiting one of the best classes that Louisville has had. We’re going to make Louisville one of the most known and talked about cities in college football.”

Pierce Clarkson developing relationships before he recruits

His — and the Cardinals’ coaching staff’s — work seems to be paying off. Louisville has the No. 15 class in the On3 Consensus Team Rankings, ahead of a number of traditional powerhouse programs. Four blue-chip prospects are already in the fold, which is many as Louisville had in the past two recruiting classes combined. The key, Clarkson says, is connecting.

“It’s about building a relationship with those guys,” he added. “They’ve got to get to know me, trust me, get to know me as more than just a quarterback. So building a relationship before even trying to get them to come to Louisville with me, that’s big. I want them to trust me and say, ‘All right, we’ll go see what Louisville has to offer.’ Then they can go see for themselves, and all of them have come back for a second visit. I think we’re doing a good job right now.”

Clarkson already helped Louisville steal four-star cornerback Aaron Williams away from USC, and he plans to do more damage in the state of California. Four-star wideout DeAndre Moore Jr., considered a Trojans lean since Lincoln Riley took over as head coach, is his next big target.

The Cardinals got a visit from Moore in January and are scheduled to host him June 17 for an official. That weekend is shaping up to be a big one, with Moore, Clarkson and a number of other top targets all scheduled to be together.

Since his commitment, teams have tried to get involved with him. Namely Texas A&M, which extended him an offer last month. Clarkson wouldn’t go so far as to say he isn’t listening, but his focus is on one place right now. And that’s Louisville.

“Right now, I’m with my team and focused on building that ’23 class at Louisville,” he said. “The A&M offer, I’m grateful for and I’m blessed. Every offer is an opportunity to make my dream come true, and I’m thankful for the coaches who want to recruit me. If they want to recruit me they can, but I’m building this class for Louisville and with Louisville.”