Marques Easley has lived all over the Midwest, but there has been one constant in the Kankakee junior’s life.
“I came out of my momma playing football,” the 6-foot-7, 300-pounder said.
Around the game since he was 3 years old, Easley is one of the state’s fastest-rising prospects. He is No. 11 among Illinois juniors in the 247Sports composite rankings, No. 39 nationally among offensive tackles.
His list of offers reads like a who’s who of college football, topping out with two-time defending national champion Georgia — a program that rarely recruits in Illinois — and Alabama.
In all, Easley has more than 30 Power Five offers, including 11 from the SEC and 10 from the Big Ten.
That doesn’t surprise Rivals recruiting analyst Clint Cosgrove.
“Guys with his frame that move like he does don’t grow on trees,” Cosgrove said. “He is far from a finished product. [But] for him to move like he does at his size and stage of his career — that’s incredibly impressive.”
Easley has already begun taking official visits, including to Georgia, and has been impressed by the food offerings, among other things. “Barbecue, salmon, steak, seafood, desserts — everything you can think of,” Easley said. “Washington had a full taco bar.”
He’s looking for a good fit as well as a good meal, of course. The recruiting process, which for him started in earnest during his sophomore year, has been “stressful and enjoyable at the same time,” he said.
Those first college looks came when he was playing at Peoria Manual. Originally from Kankakee, he also lived in Columbus, Ohio, before moving to Peoria and returning home to play for the Kays.
His football journey has been equally wide-ranging.
“I was a quarterback, receiver,” Easley said. “Then I started getting bigger and narrowing it down.”
He also played basketball and baseball and competed in track and field, but it’s clear where his athletic future lies.
Easley has worked hard at his craft. He’s the only Illinois player with the elite California Power, which travels to seven-on-seven and five-on-five events all over the country and features athletes from Hawaii, Florida, Texas and Alabama, among other states.
Easley plans to take his time to get his college commitment right, and doesn’t expect to make a decision before the season starts in August.
But he said he could have a short list by then. And he does plan to sign in December, graduate at the semester break and head off to college for spring football.
For this frequent flier, it’ll be just another trip on a unique football journey.
Justin Scott delays decision
St. Ignatius defensive tackle Justin Scott, the state’s top junior and the No. 21 prospect nationally, announced on Twitter last month he is “postponing my commitment until further notice.”
Georgia also has made an offer to Scott, and the five-star prospect has an official visit planned for April, according to the On3 recruiting site.
The 6-5, 310-pounder is versatile enough that Alabama has offered him as an offensive lineman. He has around three dozen offers overall, which is no surprise given his rare combination of size and mobility.
“He’s just so athletic,” Cosgrove said.
