4-star OT Marques Easley commits to Georgia: 'It's the best fit for me'

Kankakee (Ill.) four-star offensive lineman Marques Easley narrowed his list of more than 30 offers down to Alabama, Oklahoma and Tennessee last month. There was a surprising omission from the list though: Georgia.

The Bulldogs had hosted him for an official visit earlier in the month and had made a strong impression on him since offering him at the end of January. As it turns out, Easley had a trick up his sleeve: he knew he was going to Georgia all along.

On Saturday, he made what had been a silent commitment official when he pledged to Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs.

“Georgia is the best fit for me,” he told On3. “At Georgia, everyone is big, everyone is dogs and everyone is aggressive. And that is my style. Georgia is best for me to get to the NFL because they develop players, they compete hard and it is a great program that knows how to balance football and you time. Both me and my mom love it there.”

The Bulldogs established themselves as the team to beat in April

Up until his first visit to Athens the week before Georgia’ spring game, Easley was wide open in his recruitment. He had taken some spring visits and came away impressed with those programs. But nothing compared to Georgia once he stepped foot in Athens.

“I spent around three or four days around Athens, and seeing the players and the coaches work together showed me a lot,” he said. “Growing up, I thought it was like the military around college programs — some schools are like that. But Georgia is not one of those. It is fast-paced football, the coaches will push you and you will work hard, but they also know how to balance things out.

… You get time to bond with players, you get time to grow and Georgia will get you to your best. I left that visit feeling very good about Georgia, and they were my top school.”

The Bulldogs got his first official visit in June, and while he also took visits to Oklahoma, Tennessee and Alabama after that, he already knew where he wanted to be.

“On my official visit, I knew I was going to Georgia,” he said. “I was with Daniel Calhoun, Dylan Raiola, Nitro Tuggle, and I knew we were going to be ‘Dawgs together.”

Both Stacy Searels and Kirby Smart were key factors for Marques Easley

Easley also connected with both the other offensive linemen that Georgia has landed commitment from, as well as coach Stacy Searels.

“We all know each other, we are always talking and we will be the best OL group in the country,” Easley said. “We will go kill it together on the field, hang out off the field and everyone wants to be part of Georgia because of the balance and what Coach Smart is doing with the program.

… Coach Searels has the best personality of any coach to help me develop as a player. He knows how to coach, he knows how to talk to me and my mom, and we have a really strong relationship.”

One of the biggest reasons for Easley’s initial interest in Georgia was Kirby Smart. The Bulldogs’ head man came across as someone who would coach hard but also have fun with his players. And Easley’s two visits to Athens only confirmed that.

“Coach Smart is one of the few head coaches that knows how to balance it out,” Easley said. “He is a great coach, but he can also hang with the players. Coach Kirby knows everyone on the team. He is good with parents, and he gives off that family vibe. He just gets it.”