Why Jacob Clark stayed to become a Missouri State football legend

During the transfer portal movement of the offseason ahead of the 2025 season, Jacob Clark was a hot commodity.

A proven winner who put up record numbers for his school at the FCS level, Clark was an ideal candidate to fill a starting quarterback job somewhere bigger than Missouri State. He had the size, the frame, the arm and the football IQ that would have made him a potential starter somewhere else.

A younger Clark might have jumped at the opportunity, but he was more mature after six years in college. He had a good situation at Missouri State, where it wouldn't have been a question as to who the starter would be. Sure, he could have made more money, but the grass isn't always greener.

Many conversations with his now-fiancée ensued. They discussed how he could go elsewhere to play his last season, but there wouldn't be an opportunity to break records or even a guarantee of a starting job.

"We were pretty close," Darby Davis, soon-to-be Clark, said.

Clark decided to stay.

Months later, Clark will lead Missouri State onto the field in its first bowl game as an FBS member when it plays against Arkansas State on Thursday, Dec. 18, at 8 p.m., in the Xbox Bowl in the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas.

Because of his decision, Clark has established himself as one of Missouri State football's all-time greats and holds a few school records. At the same time, he'll forever be remembered as the quarterback who led the Bears through their FBS transition while maintaining his status as an NFL prospect.

"There are only a handful of names that've gotten their jersey retired inside Plaster Stadium," Missouri State play-by-play voice Corey Riggs said. "The next number that needs to go up in Plaster Stadium probably should be No. 12."

Jacob Clark's path hasn't been easy

After waiting five years to see her high school sweetheart take the field as a starting quarterback, Davis watched with pride when Clark got behind center for the first time, leading Missouri State against Kansas.

Three years at Minnesota and one year as the Bears' backup, Davis had been there through it all, whether it was waiting for an opportunity or seeing him go through recovery after labrum surgery while with the Golden Gophers; she was finally seeing him get his moment.

"It just speaks to his grit and determination for sticking with it," Davis said.

Clark got hurt during that early-September 2023 game, and it was only made worse in the weeks ahead. Somehow, the adrenaline helped him throw for over 400 yards and five touchdowns against Utah Tech, but when he went down the following week at Southern Illinois, they knew it wasn't good.

Clark required shoulder surgery, ending his season just four games in.

"It was probably the worst thing in his career that we've had to deal with," Davis said. "He had the labrum surgery and then needed to get his mechanics back. He was really discouraged when we were in Minnesota, and that's what ultimately dropped him on the depth chart and led to his transfer. Knowing that's how the first surgery went, gave us a lot of uncertainty about how a second surgery was going to go and if that was going to happen again."

Jacob Clark always attacked his rehab

Justin Hoover met Clark when he was a middle schooler in the Kansas City area, before he moved to Rockwall, Texas, to finish his high school career. From an early age, Hoover was struck by Clark's maturity and competitiveness.

Hoover has established himself as a go-to quarterback coach in the Midwest, working with the likes of Drew Lock, Skylar Thompson, Will Howard and Avery Johnson. He was struck by Clark's eagerness to seek out more information to find new ways to grow in the position. The two continue to work together, and Hoover's seen him step into the leadership role with the Bears.

"That's something he's really grown into and has taken ownership of," Hoover said. "I think what he realized was that leadership comes in so many different shapes and sizes. 'I don't have the loudest voice, and I don't have to be the most frequent voice, but I need to lead by example and serve others.'"

Hoover was on the other end of the phone frequently when Clark called, trying to figure out how to get back on the field because of his multiple injuries. Hoover, an Elite 11 coach who owns Spin It Quarterback Academy in Kansas City, works alongside a physical therapist with NFL experience in treating quarterbacks with shoulder injuries.

Whatever they asked Clark to do, he did it.

"I think that's really his mental makeup," Hoover said. "You know it's going to hurt, but the reward is well worth it. I think it just shows some of his toughness and perseverance."

Jacob Clark became a Missouri State football legend

Clark's inability to quit helped turn him into one of the best players to wear a Missouri State uniform.

He started every game for the Bears in 2024, earning First Team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference recognition, and set the school's single-season records for passing yards, completions and touchdowns.

After choosing to return in 2025, Clark led the Bears to their first bowl appearance as an FBS program. Along the way, he led Mo State to thrilling wins, including fourth-quarter comebacks against Marshall and Liberty. He missed a game with a knee injury, but returned to throw a game-winning touchdown pass to beat New Mexico State.

Clark will end his career as the most efficient passer in Missouri State history, along with the school's best completion percentage and most touchdown passes. He enters his final game, the Xbox Bowl, 451 yards behind the school's all-time passing yards record.

"He's just been so solid," Art Hains, Missouri State's now-retired longtime radio voice, said. "He's a great kid, a great leader, he makes good decisions, he can run when he needs to out of necessity; he can do all of that. He checks all of the boxes for a top quarterback."

What Jacob Clark's future looks like after the Xbox Bowl

Davis will watch her fiancée play one more game in a Bears uniform from the stands in Frisco on Thursday night. Wedding planning hasn't consumed most of her life yet, and that will likely wait until she knows where they are living in preparation for the NFL Draft and, hopefully, with whatever team picks him up.

Clark's resume should give him a chance, Hoover said. He has the traits NFL teams are looking for, including size, comeback wins, and the ability to prove himself in big moments. He can make all the throws, has bounced back from injury, and is so smart on the field.

"The football IQ part of it is one of the things that was appealing to him and why he stayed (at Missouri State), was the evolution of that offense and learning football at a high level with what (Nick) Petrino had going on over there," Hoover said. "A lot of those things have stayed consistent, and I think that's allowed him to grow his football IQ and be able to operate inside of a complex offense."

Once the final whistle sounds in Frisco, about 38 miles from where Clark played his high school ball, it'll be on to the next chapter in his life. Gone will be the "it's football season" excuse for wedding planning, as he and his fiancée figure out where he'll train.

Davis is happy Clark decided to stay in Springfield and watch a community embrace him as one of the greatest to come through a football program.

Through it all, Davis has watched her soon-to-be husband remain the same person, who just wanted a chance to play the game he loves.

"I am most proud of how he has stayed true to himself and his core values," Davis said. "When he started college, he wanted to play football as long as he could. Throughout all these changes (to college football), he's never wavered. He has that Nick Saban mentality of not giving into the rat poison; he's in it for the love of the game and not for anything else."

Wyatt D. Wheeler covers Kansas State athletics for the USA TODAY Network and Topeka Capital-Journal. You can follow him on X at @WyattWheeler_, contact him at 417-371-6987 or email him at [email protected]

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Missouri State QB Jacob Clark plays final game in Xbox Bowl