Decided to Fly: Marcus Valdez

Decided to Fly: Marcus Valdez

By Quinn Kelly

 

Marcus Valdez

From: Perth Amboy, NJ

High School: Don Bosco Prep

Position: DE

Ht/Wt: 6’1” 243

Twitter: @marcusjvaldez

Ratings:

ESPN Rating: 77, 3 star

247 Rating: 83, 3 star

Rivals Rating: 2 star

Highlight Tape:

High School Stats:

Not too much to give you here, so we’ll let the video above speak for us.  Valdez missed almost his entire senior season due to a knee injury.  His junior year, however, he was a key piece on the Don Bosco state championship team, and tallied a pair of sacks in the title game.

Addazio’s Take:

“Marcus Valdez from Don Bosco Prep … He got injured during the season. He would have blown up. He’s a heck of a player. Great motor, great leverage guy, great power, real good jump off the ball. As he gets healthy again will become a hell of a player for us.”

Valdez on Commitment:

“I chose BC because of the great opportunity it offers, playing football at a high level while receiving a degree from one of the nation’s top academic institutions.  Plus, when I first visited BC, I just really felt like I was at home and I was part of the family.  Last but not least, it’s located right next to the great city of Boston.  I can’t say how proud I am to be part of this 2017 class […] go Eagles!”

Our Take:

Valdez has to feel like somewhat of a bargain deal for the Eagles.  He was pretty highly recruited coming out of high school, but not by top tier programs.  Valdez held 22 offers, but just three of them were from Power 5 schools, with fellow ACC schools Duke and Syracuse also offering the defensive end.  As Coach Addazio cited in his press conference, this really seems like it was due to his lack of time on the field this past season.  Had he had another season to prove his worth, perhaps more of the big time schools would have come calling.  He certainly has the athleticism and speed to be a good end, and with a full summer at BC to bulk up and build his frame up a bit, he really could turn out to be a diamond in the rough.  The Eagles are loaded down on the D-Line as it is, with a series of young guys emerging as soon-to-be stars last year, so don’t expect to see Valdez on the field for some time.  But, the Eagles certainly banked themselves a nice talent, and if development goes well, Valdez could really be a force off the edge in a couple of years.