Wolverine TV: Michigan EDGE target Marquise Lightfoot talks January visit, relationships, more

Michigan just hosted 2024 Chicago (Ill.) Kenwood Academy consensus four-star EDGE Marquise Ligthfoot for a third unofficial visit this past month for the team’s Junior Day event. It was Lightfoot’s return to Ann Arbor since late-July of last year when he attended the annual BBQ at the Big House.

“It was great,” Lightfoot said. “Every time that I’m down there, Michigan never fails to impress. (The coaches) always show that I’m a priority for the staff.”

January was the result of a huge rise in Lightfoot’s recruitment as he earned elite Power 5 offers from Georgia, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Miami, and others. The process remains open for the shifty and explosive pass rusher, who will get back to more planned unofficial visits this spring. That includes Michigan as Lightfoot holds close relationships with defensive line coach Mike Elston, outside linebackers coach Dylan Roney, and area recruiter Sherrone Moore.

“Coach Elston, Coach Roney, and Coach Moore text me at least three times a week,” Lightfoot said. “Conversations with them are always fun.”

The Wolverine stopped by Kenwood Academy on Friday to catch up with Lightfoot. Watch the full Q&A below.

Along with Michigan, Lightfoot has other offers in hand from Tennessee, Nebraska, Florida, Auburn, Texas A&M, Michigan State, USC, Ole Miss, Colorado, and Arkansas.

At 6-foot-4, 200 pounds, Lightfoot is ranked as the No. 22 EDGE and No. 309 overall prospect in the country. He is also ranked as the No. 6 overall recruit in the state of Illinois, per the On3 Consensus.

Lightfoot has an On3 NIL Valuation of $18.8K with 1.5K followers on Twitter. The On3 NIL Valuation is an index that looks to set the standard market value for both high school and college-level athletes. 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.

Michigan has seven commits in its 2024 recruiting class — On300 Harper Woods (Mich.) High defensive back Jacob Oden, On300 Nashville (Tenn.) Ensworth linebacker Mason Curtis, On300 Avon (Ohio) High offensive lineman Luke Hamilton, Consensus four-star Bellevue (Wash.) High tight end Hogan Hansen, Consensus four-star defensive lineman Ted Hammond, three-star Wallingford (Conn.) Choate Rosemary Hall defensive lineman Manuel Beigel, and rising South Park (Pa.) High linebacker Zach Ludwig. 

The class is currently ranked No. 14 nationally in the On3 Consensus national team rankings and No. 3 in the Big Ten behind Ohio State and Michigan State.