Four-star DT Marcus Bradley chooses Vanderbilt
After decommitting for Maryland earlier this month, four-star defensive lineman Marcus Bradley has announced his commitment to Vanderbilt. The Gaithersburg (Md.) Quince Orchard standout had been considering teams like Texas A&M, Penn State, Virginia, Georgia Tech, Tennessee, and USC but the opportunity on and off the field at Vanderbilt was too good for Bradley to pass up.
*****
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
COVERAGE: Rivals Transfer Tracker | Rivals Camp Series
*****
IN HIS OWN WORDS...
“I picked Vanderbilt for a lot of reasons,” Bradley said. “First off, the education is ridiculous. It's one of the top universities in America. I love the coaches. They kind of had a different approach with the recruiting process that I liked a lot. I love coach Haye, the defensive line coach. He played in the NFL and he knows his stuff. I like him as a person more than anything. I'll be signing in December and enrolling in January.
“During the recruiting process, coaches usually hit you with stadium size, the jerseys, uniforms, and facilities,” he said. “The Vanderbilt coaches laid it right out on the table with the opportunity they have for me. I liked it better that way. They broke down the opportunity that I have instead of trying to show me all of this fluff and trying to sell me all these other dreams other than actually playing football. That's what matters at the end of the day.
“Coach Haye and I can talk forever about anything,” said Bradley. “It doesn't even have to be football related. We talk about ball a little bit. He played in the NFL and I ask him questions about that all the time to see how that life was. It's more than football with him and that's how it has to be.
“I’ve been checking them out this season,” he said. “I’m definitely needed and that's a big thing for me. I'd rather go where I'm needed. You watched so many 2020 players go places where they could have been at a different school and been playing instead of falling into the fold where they chose. I like Vanderbilt's style and I'm needed for what they want to do moving forward.
“I haven't been there before but it's a city so I'm not worried about that part,” Bradley said. “I’ve done the virtual visits but it's not like being there and actually getting a feel for it. I did my homework too. I have some family down that way and they've told me about it too.
“When Vanderbilt hit me up, Terion (Sugick) did too,” he said. “I just talked to him about the whole situation and he felt the same way that I do. He has the same opportunity on the table as I do. Being able to come in and play and be in a scheme that fits well for both of us. He kind of helped me with this process because you need to know who you're playing next to. With Terion and the other guys that are on the roster, I like what's going on.”
RIVALS' REACTION...
Just their second four-star commitment in the 2021 class, Bradley is obviously a really important addition for the Commodores. Their fifth commitment on the defensive line, Bradley will be Vanderbilt best combination of size, speed, and athleticism on the interior of their defense. He’s about 6-foot-3 and almost 290-pounds right now but he doesn’t just beat offensive linemen with strength. He has the quickness and hand techniques to wreak havoc in the backfield. Look for Bradley to focus on developing physically and expanding his knowledge of hand techniques once he arrives on campus.