COLUMBIA -- South Carolina has witnessed their best season in 11 years as the Gamecocks go for their fifth 10-win season in team history. No matter what happens on New Year's Eve, the expectations are high for the Gamecocks in 2025 thanks to incoming recruits like Malik Clark.
The four-star receiver from Rock Hill signed with USC on Dec. 4. In the 2024 season, he hauled in 68 catches for 976 yards and 10 touchdowns, according to MaxPreps. He has also played snaps in his career as a cornerback, showing his dual-threat ability.
He's been driven by his role model, his mother, who has worked hard her whole life to support her son's future career, but Clark had ideas of his own.
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In support of Clark's football dreams, his mom wanted to make sure he got to the finish line. No matter the cost. This is what motivated the decision she made around five years ago -- going back to college so she could earn a promotion to pay for her son's higher education.
The gesture from Clark's mom was a willing one. But for Clark, that wasn't enough. He wanted to earn his own way.
"I feel like I could return in favor by trying as hard as I can do and everything I can in my power and my ability to get into college for free, to help her out a little bit," Clark said. "I felt like that was kind of my gift to her.
"(She) inspired me to work even harder, to work into (making) my mama proud and helping her out."
And he did exactly that.
Come August next year, he will be catching deep balls from LaNorris Sellers and running routes in head coach Shane Beamer's offense. As expected, Clark is excited to start at his new school and show what he's got.
"That's the ultimate goal for every high school football player, to sign on National Signing Day to their home school or whatever school they want to go to," Clark said. "This is a blessing."
His role model feels the same way.
"Yeah, (my mom) was excited. She's really happy that she gets to watch all my games and come down to see me play every weekend," Clark said. "She's happy for me and has been telling me to keep working and keep doing what I'm doing."
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Rock Hill to Columbia is an easy drive for Clark's mom to see her son play at Williams-Brice Stadium. It's closer than Tallahassee, at least. She would've made that trip anyway, but Clark's original plan was to play at Florida State.
In July, Clark, in a surprise to many, committed to the Seminoles. He chose the ACC team over USC and North Carolina. He's always wanted to compete on the national stage, and Florida State offered this after their 13-1 season in 2023.
"(I) really just (wanted) the chance to compete for a national championship," Clark told 247Sports at the time. "Florida State differentiated themselves from the pack because I can compete for a natty."
This, of course, was before FSU's abysmal 2-10 follow-up campaign to their ACC championship season. Midway through the season, Clark decided to decommit from the Seminoles and reopen his recruitment. Thankfully for Clark, South Carolina never halted its efforts.
"I wasn't mad at Malik when he committed to Florida State, but, well, he (was) committed to Florida State," Beamer said at his signing day press conference. "I better really pour into Jordon Gidron, whether he's in this year's class or next year's class, but just keep the lines of communication open (with Clark).
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"If they open the door and say they're not really sure about it, and they want to come to a game and things like that, then it's just going back to why I believe South Carolina would be the best place for them."
Just like the rest of the 2025 class, Beamer believes that South Carolina is the best place to play football, especially for recruits in the Palmetto State.
"(He told me) that nobody takes care of me like my hometown school, that I'm up the road from family and South Carolina is the best place that he feels (will) help me achieve the goals I want to achieve," Clark said. "He felt like I could thrive anywhere that I wanted to be, but South Carolina gives me the best opportunity to make it where I want to make it."
When Clark does don the garnet and black, he's ready to show Gamecock Nation what he has.
"I'm a hard worker that's gonna do whatever it takes to win and help the team be successful," he said.