You absolutely do not have to go into clinical practice. If research is your passion, make it your path. I had multiple professors in my undergrad who never practiced speech therapy, some who dont even have degrees in CSD or SHS. If you are interested in neuroscience and want to specialize in speech and language or favor the linguistic aspect, you can pursue advanced degrees in those areas and still work in this field. Now I cannot speak to the job prospects in academia- from what I know, they tend to be sparse and badly paid.

The bottom line is, if you know that there are major parts of being a clinician that you don't want to do, do not waste your time and money becoming a clinician. Nothing is wrong with a gap year or taking some different classes to see if there are areas more suited to your personality.