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Miami HC Mario Cristobal makes in-home visit to 4-star EDGE commit Marquise Lightfoot

Collin-headshotby:Collin Ginnan•12/01/23•

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marquise lightfoot
Credit: @ClarkC007/X

College coaches are once again out on the recruiting trail as the calendar rolls into December, and Miami head coach Mario Cristobal made an in-home visit to Chicago Kenwood Academy four-star EDGE Marquise Lightfoot.

Cristobal was joined by defensive ends coach and NFL Hall of Famer Jason Taylor. Lightfoot committed to the Hurricanes on July 3, choosing Miami over Ohio State.

“Miami stood out with what they offered on and off the field,” Lightfoot told On3 when he committed. “They showed me that off the field I can still live my life as a teenager whilst there focusing on my career which is the end goal of going to the NFL. They have that goal in their mind.”

“When I was down there, I saw the vision that all of the coaches and players were talking about. I want to be a part of getting the U back to what it was.”

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Relationship with Jason Taylor was key

Taylor was a major sticking point for Lightfoot when he made his decision.

“It became comparing coach Taylor to the other coaches because that’s the main thing I had choosing a school was picking my position and strength coach,”. Lightfoot said. “When I went down there, he showed me that he knows how to coach and his coaching personality fit who I’d want to be mentored by.”

Lightfoot is the nation’s No. 50 overall prospect in the 2024 cycle according to the On3 Industry Ranking — a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is the cycle’s No. 7 EDGE and No. 3 recruit from Illinois.

He currently has an On3 NIL Valuation of $154,000. The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets high school and college athletes’ projected annual value (PAV). The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.