Scouting Journals for Marquise Lightfoot

Explosive EDGE prospect who stands out due to his athleticism and effort level on Friday nights. Measured in at over 6-foot-5, 220 pounds prior to his senior season. Has solid length for the position. A twitchy, quick athlete who turned in strong marks with his change of direction in the combine setting. Parlays that burst onto the field. Lines up both as a traditional defensive end and as a stand up pass rusher. Makes eye-popping plays in backside pursuit. Tracks down ball carriers from behind, making high-level individual plays. Shows good first step quickness, darting into the backfield. Takes on blocks and works to hold his ground as a run defender. Plays with intensity and a high effort level. Productive as a junior, tallying 122 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and 9 sacks. Also plays tight end, where he made some big plays as a pass-catcher. Will need to hone his pass rush technique at the next level as he is making most of his plays with pure athleticism and effort. Does not look to have an overly large frame, but has solid size at 220 pounds. Younger for the class with an April birthday.

Miami EDGE signee Marquise Lightfoot (No. 10) earned his fifth star and leapt into the top ten with a masterful showing at the All-American Bowl. The future Hurricane defender has the best motor of defensive prospects we’ve evaluated in the 2024 cycle. Long considered as a top 50 prospect for On3, the Chicago native showcased arguably the best pure speed rush we saw from the EDGE group at either all-star game. At 6-foot-5, 215 pounds with plus length, Lightfoot is a top athlete at the position. He gave several top offensive tackles fits over the course of the week. The frame, athleticism, pass rush skill set and with his elite effort level point to a promising future.

While several pass rushers had their moments over the course of the week, Marquise Lightfoot had the most consistent flashes. The 6-foot-5, 215-pounder’s first-step quickness gave offensive tackles fits. Lightfoot was borderline unblockable during Saturday’s game. His initial get-off and ability to get skinny allowed him to have a regular presence behind the line of scrimmage. With the West building a big lead, we saw Lightfoot pin his ears back and get after the East quarterbacks at a high rate. He had a big sack off of a vicious up-and-under move and found forced hurried throws. The Chicago native plays with a dogged effort level – both in practice and in Saturday’s game. His combination of quickness, motor and developmental frame points to a high upside in Coral Gables.