R100 athlete Marquez Beason nears official visit decisions

NEW ORLEANS, La. – Going back to last spring, Marquez Beason has been one of the more popular recruits in the country with the number of offers that he’s received – in many cases twice over.

Beason released a Top 7 over the weekend that included Baylor, Florida, Illinois, LSU, Ohio State, SMU and Texas A&M. He said that the reason those schools made the cut is for the interest that they’ve shown in him as an overall player, and not just his potential at any one position.

“It’s important to see them doing that because it shows that they want me as a player, not just to fill a need at a position,” he said. “They like my football ability and don’t just have me locked into one position.”

Beason and his 7-on-7 teammates visited LSU while nearby, and it seems as though the Tigers are in a good place with the Rivals100 prospect. He’s planning on taking his official visits this spring, and while LSU seem like a front-runner for one, choosing the odd teams out will be more difficult. SMU will get its chance to make a strong case when he visits there this weekend.

Recapping his visit to LSU

“I just talked with the coaching staff, visited the campus, and saw a little more about what the program was about,” he said. “They know that I’m trying to make my decision this spring, so they’re just recruiting me as hard as they can right now.”

On Texas A&M, where he visited earlier this month

“It was a good experience - an eye-opening experience,” he said. “That’s a great program and Coach (Jimbo) Fisher is changing the program … I have a good connection with the new staff - Coach [Maurice Linguist] and Coach Fisher - and they say that I could come in and change the program and be a great addition to the Texas A&M Aggies.”

On SMU

“I don’t really look at whether or not they’re a Power Five school, I only really look at what my life after college would be,” he said. “Coach (Kevin) Curtis recruited me a lot at Louisiana Tech and he’s a great coach and a great recruiter because he keeps it up-front and he’s honest.”

Beason could find himself in a number of roles with a college program, which is what has made him such a desirable prospect. Once its known where he’ll take his officials, things will get much more interesting, as he’s seemed to have enjoyed the recruiting process and could have a few more surprises up his sleeve.