The Missouri Tigers have parlayed an excellent recruiting effort into keeping one of the best high school talents in-state for his college career. St. Charles (St. Charles, MO) defensive tackle Marquis Gracial is a player that the Tigers have been high on for years and the class of 2022 player committed to the school in May.
By Steve Wright
Gracial – who had offers from the likes of Alabama, Oregon, and Arizona State – points out the relationship he has made with defensive line coach Jethro Franklin as the key to his decision to play in Columbia. The 6-foot-4, 280-pounder has college size already and that is part of why he is ranked by the 247Sports Composite as the No. 189 player in the class, the No. 16 defensive tackle, and the No. 5 player in the state of Missouri.
In the video below you can see why head coach Eli Drinkwitz is excited about Gracial and what he brings to the game. The commitment of the St. Charles star is especially important because defensive line was a priority in this recruiting cycle for the Tigers after they missed out on a couple of big targets in the defensive trench over the last couple of cycles.
The first play of the video is an excellent example of what Gracial can do. His speed out of his defensive stance is just outstanding and for such a big body his ability to cut and move laterally while avoiding blockers and focusing on the ball carrier is just as impressive. Gracial is able to win battles both with his speed and with his power, with a couple of his double-team-breaking plays on defense being especially impressive. He knows how to use leverage to his advantage, staying low and powering through the offensive linemen in order to get to a quarterback ur stuff a running back in the backfield.
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