Four-star Flowers staying in state
SAN ANTONIO - Goodyear (Ariz.) Millennium athlete Marquis Flowers had many out-of-state options and offers from some of the biggest programs in the country. However, the 6-foot-3, 210-pounder decided that the lure of leaving home just couldn't overcome the comfort of staying close to home and playing in front of friends and family. And he made his announcement on national television at the U.S. Army All American Bowl.
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"It was definitely a nice school," Flowers said of one of his visits to the Tucson campus. "The campus was nice and I just felt comfortable while I was there. Arizona is a great location. It's not in the middle of nowhere, but it's a place where you can mature. I like their education, their business education which is what I'm going to major in. And their football (program), I like how Stoops has the program on the rise."
Flowers chose Arizona over offers from Arizona State, UCLA, Notre Dame and USC and took all five official visits before making a decision. He is ranked as the No. 87 overall prospect in the nation and is the No. 8 athlete. He immediately becomes the top-ranked prospect in the 2010 Arizona recruiting class.
He will bring a rare intensity to the Arizona secondary and models his game after a current Pac-10 star from a future rival, USC stud Taylor Mays.
"In high school, yeah it was a guy I tried to be like, but you know, no one really can," Flowers said. "I'm a student of the game, I want to learn, get better and I want to help the defense. I want to play safety. And I want to be another Taylor Mays, get around the field fast, hard-hitting, physical all of that."