Marks hopes for big summer

Gabriel Marks earned the wide receiver MVP award at the recent Los Angeles NIKE Camp and the 2012 prospect from Los Angeles Venice didn't even play the position in his sophomore season.

That's going to change for Marks in his junior year when he'll play wide receiver and cornerback and he hopes his recruitment starts to pick up once coaches see him at his natural positions.

As a sophomore, he finished with 53 tackles and five interceptions at free safety. Marks said his performance at the Los Angeles NIKE Camp was an important first step to prove he can excel at receiver and that he hopes coaches start to notice him.

"That was really important," Marks said. "It was a good experience and it helped me become a better player. It will help me with coaches to get them to look at me. They'll probably want to see what I can do on the field first before they offer me.

"There was some new stuff that I did there that I haven't don't before but mostly at B2G they help prepare me for a lot of stuff that I do at camps and stuff that I do at school with my coaches."

Because Marks, a slick 6-foot, 175-pound prospect, did not play any receiver last season it's been difficult for coaches to really start recruiting him. That could change this summer because Marks plans to attend some camps and get noticed at big events - like the LA NIKE Camp and the upcoming Palo Alto NIKE Camp.

Marks also plans to attend camps at UCLA and Oregon and also the B2G Elite Camp this summer which will feature many of the top prospects across southern California. Texas A&M and Oregon State have already sent some recruiting correspondence.

Things should pick up for Marks even more after the summer and during his junior season once coaches see him at wide receiver.

Rivals.com recruiting analyst Barry Every wrote after the Los Angeles NIKE Camp that he expects Marks to start getting more attention after the spring evaluation period. The sense is that once coaches start seeing him more, the offers and interest will start picking up for him.

"I'd like to be in the Pac-10 or the SEC, a big conference," Marks said. "I'd play at Boise State or TCU. I'd play anywhere where someone wants me."