Bud Clark is a safety and 2026 NFL Draft prospect who spent his entire six-year career with the TCU Horned Frogs. A native of Alexandria, Louisiana, Clark attended Alexandria High School, where he also lettered in baseball, and was rated a four-star recruit ranked the No. 13 overall prospect in Louisiana and the No. 31 safety nationally in the 2020 class, choosing TCU over offers from LSU, Ole Miss, Colorado, and Arizona State. He redshirted in 2020 and injuries limited him in 2021, but he broke out as a key contributor in TCU's 2022 College Football Playoff run, earning the starting nickel position midseason, finishing with 45 tackles and five interceptions including a pick-six in the Fiesta Bowl win over Michigan, and earning Honorable Mention All-Big 12 honors. He followed that with 33 tackles and three interceptions in 2023, then moved into a more traditional safety role in 2024, posting 67 tackles, three interceptions, and earning Second Team All-Big 12 recognition. He capped his career in 2025 with 56 tackles, a career-best seven pass breakups, and four interceptions including a pick-six, earning his second consecutive All-Big 12 second team nod. He finished his collegiate career with 214 tackles, 35 pass breakups, and 15 interceptions across 61 games, and was invited to the 2026 Panini Senior Bowl where he collected multiple interceptions in practice.
Standing 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, Clark is known for elite ball production across four full seasons, the ability to play the deep half, slot, and box, excellent route anticipation that allows him to trigger quickly and contest passes at the catch point, and the communications skills and football intelligence that made him a three-year team captain. NFL evaluators project him primarily as a versatile safety and big nickel hybrid at the next level, where his 15 career interceptions, experience against Power Four competition, and Senior Bowl performance position him as a potential Day 2 or early Day 3 selection with the coverage instincts and leadership traits to contribute as a rotational starter and grow into a reliable every-down safety.
