'13 AR DT Marquis Dickerson (Notre Dame Preferred Walk On)

[Anchorman]

Very great congratulations, young man, for being accepted into the overall best university for undergraduate personhood development in the country. May you also benefit from the wonderful coaching and training here, so you can continue your amazing upward trajectory as an athlete.


For the benefit {?} of my IE brothers, here are a few gleanings that I have about our young hopeful superman:
1: He was accepted into Notre Dame at the end of March. His ACT score was, I believe, 24.

2: He went to the spring game, I am pretty sure, in mid-April. This indicates to me that "something" was going on with Marquis and Kelly for a long time.

3: He played for a team which was so terrible that it is hard to imagine it. They seemed to lose every game that I saw scores for by fifty points. Buried as he was as a gemstone in a haystack [to mix metaphors], it is not odd that few recruiters were looking at his games.

4: He seems to be a young man undergoing a big growth spurt. From his sophomore year to his senior year, he has grown from 6'0" to 6'3", and from 220 to 265 pounds. Who knows what his base stats are this minute?

5: He had a mediocre bench [240] but I'll bet dollars there was no weight training maybe at all. His vertical is 25", which is OK for a big man. He must be very athletic to have stood out enough on that horrible team to have been voted pre-season All-State defense.

6: Again, he must have been continuously double teamed, but had in his career about 200 tackles, 19 sacks, 9 forced fumbles and five recoveries. I am not sure if these include senior stats but probably do.

My assessment for whatever it's worth, is that this young man is a genuine possibility as a future contributor. If he continues to grow, and we know that his strength gain is about to rocket off when he gets into Longo Land, and if his athleticism is a high as what it seems it might be with training, young Marquis could really blossom.

The biggest mystery in all this is: how in the heck did Kelly find him?? Did Our Lady help point him out? Aid from Above is always welcome....

Good points. #1 sort of reinforces #2 in that to get in with a 24 means Kelly was likely working with admissions already.

 

[Fbolt]

Great news-congrats Marquis! Pleased with this pick up.

Kid seems like an underdog and I love to root for the underdogs.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

Most interesting part after the question of how Kelly found him, was the fact that the rumbling of a developed walk-on program in the works hasn't even subsided, and here is Marquis. Is this timing nothing more than coincidence? I think not!

 

[dublinirish]

a proper walk on program would be awesome ala Nebraska back in the day

 

[nsisk157]

Very great congratulations, young man, for being accepted into the overall best university for undergraduate personhood development in the country. May you also benefit from the wonderful coaching and training here, so you can continue your amazing upward trajectory as an athlete.


For the benefit {?} of my IE brothers, here are a few gleanings that I have about our young hopeful superman:
1: He was accepted into Notre Dame at the end of March. His ACT score was, I believe, 24.

2: He went to the spring game, I am pretty sure, in mid-April. This indicates to me that "something" was going on with Marquis and Kelly for a long time.

3: He played for a team which was so terrible that it is hard to imagine it. They seemed to lose every game that I saw scores for by fifty points. Buried as he was as a gemstone in a haystack [to mix metaphors], it is not odd that few recruiters were looking at his games.

4: He seems to be a young man undergoing a big growth spurt. From his sophomore year to his senior year, he has grown from 6'0" to 6'3", and from 220 to 265 pounds. Who knows what his base stats are this minute?

5: He had a mediocre bench [240] but I'll bet dollars there was no weight training maybe at all. His vertical is 25", which is OK for a big man. He must be very athletic to have stood out enough on that horrible team to have been voted pre-season All-State defense.

6: Again, he must have been continuously double teamed, but had in his career about 200 tackles, 19 sacks, 9 forced fumbles and five recoveries. I am not sure if these include senior stats but probably do.

My assessment for whatever it's worth, is that this young man is a genuine possibility as a future contributor. If he continues to grow, and we know that his strength gain is about to rocket off when he gets into Longo Land, and if his athleticism is a high as what it seems it might be with training, young Marquis could really blossom.

The biggest mystery in all this is: how in the heck did Kelly find him?? Did Our Lady help point him out? Aid from Above is always welcome....

Saint Jude

 

[Old Man Mike]

Well, as St Jude is the Patron of Lost Causes, I'd prefer to go elsewhere ---> to St Anthony of Padua, the Patron of Finding Lost or Misplaced Treasures.

 

[DillonHall]

Why not just oversign instead?

 

[cape cod]

Some of Notre Dame's best walk on players through the year(most listed earned scholarships after walking on)listing non Kickers first:

Nordy Hoffman G Seattle, Wash. (30-31)-
Rockne talked this track man into coming out his junior year in '30; Hoffman made All American in '31

Dick Cronin E Chicago (45)
All State player in Ill who had played in the Chi Championship game in Soldier Field in HS, didn't play at ND until he walked on as a Senior and won a starting job as End over numerous scholarship players

Nick Rassas HB/DB Winnetka, Ill
turned down a number of Big 10 scholarship offers to play where his dad had played. Finally earned a full ride, All American and played in the pros

Mike Oriard C Spokane, Was
Walk on who ended up Captain of the '69 Irish Football team. Played in the pros for KC

Ed Gulyas HB San Carlos, Cal
walk on who earned a scholarship and led the '70 Irish in rushing

Tim Rudnick CB Chicago
walked on to '70 frosh & ended up starting for '73 National Champs

Bob Burger G- started for 1980 Irish

Mike Brennan T-started out as a Lacrosse player and walked on to the football team(initially at TE) in '89 he started at OT and played 3 seasons in the NFL

Shane Walton CB-soccer player at ND who ended up an All American in FB in 2002

Kickers(ND seems to have always encouraged walk on kickers):

Bob Thomas Rochester NY-kicker for '73 NCs
Reggie Ho Kaneohe, Hi-'88 NCs
Chuck Male Mishawka, Ind 78 & 79 Irish
David Ruffer most recent walk on kicker-Trans from William & Mary

 

[swole1]

Congratulations to Mr.Marquis Dickerson you are now my favorite '13 player, move over Will Fuller. This is a great story and even better one to follow through the years.

 

[cape cod]

ISD reporting that Dickerson is the nephew of former North Carolina and NBA star Sam Perkins.

Also lists current weight at 275

 

[BleedBlueGold]

Hope this kid turns out to be a gem. Seems like he'll need a year w/ Longo before he can contribute at DT. But then again, maybe he'll surprise us. I'm glad he's on board and hopefully he can earn a scholly.

 

[AdmiralBackhand]

We will not need him this year. Fingers crossed.

 

[dublinirish]

seems like a great kid and hopefully might contribute as an upper classman, didnt JJ Watt put on like 40 lbs in college, its not impossible with a good frame, dedication and a S&C coach who knows his shizz

 

[BeauBenken]

I read that ISD interview with Dickerson. Love it.

Very glad to have this kid on board.

 

[PANDFAN]

ISD

ISD

Marquis Dickerson did earn a scholarship as a 2013 defensive tackle out of Lee High School in Marianna, Ark., but the 6-foot-3, 275-pounder has decided to challenge himself more on and off the field.

Instead of accepting a scholarship to Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Dickerson has decided to accept a position as a walk-on with Notre Dame.

“I went up there to the spring game and while I was up there, I had a meeting with (Dave) Peloquin and David Grimes,” Dickerson said. “I wanted to introduce myself to them in person. I told them I was interested in walking on.

“It was a great atmosphere. I’d never seen so many people in as tight-knit of a community as South Bend. It was ridiculous. I’m from the South with southern hospitality, but Notre Dame took it to another level.”

Dickerson had been waiting for the Irish to reach his former head coach and isn’t even sure if they ever did, but he received a text earlier this month telling him to report to training camp on Aug. 4th.

“I don’t see any reason why I shouldn’t go to Notre Dame, so I’m all Irish,” he said.

Dickerson feels good about choosing Notre Dame over Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

“Honestly, they didn’t challenge me academically like I wanted,” he said. “I was considering them because their former defensive line coach (Dennis Winston) is from my hometown and that was my childhood idol, so when he told me that he wanted me, I took it into consideration and then the offer came.”

But now Dickerson turns his attention to helping the Irish.

“The first season, I plan on just preparing them and preparing myself to win games and hopefully a national championship,” he said. “After that, to be honest, I plan on training as hard as I can.

“I have an uncle who played in the NBA for 17 years, Sam Perkins, so I have an athletic background. I want to use all of the resources and hit the weight room hard, really commit to my conditioning and hopefully have a big role. Honestly, I plan to start before I leave.”

Dickerson will arrive ready to do whatever is needed.

“I can do whatever the coaches ask me to,” he said. “I’m focusing on my quickness and pass rushing moves. I’m not the biggest kid around, but I could be a safety if you needed me to. Not too many people go straight up against me, so I’m used to taking on a double or triple-teams. I’d say I’m a pretty versatile kid.”

And he isn’t worried about the climate change.

“I’m a big guy. I can withstand a little snow

 

[Kaneyoufeelit]

Sounds like a great young man

 

[FLDomer]

seems like a great kid and hopefully might contribute as an upper classman, didnt JJ Watt put on like 40 lbs in college, its not impossible with a good frame, dedication and a S&C coach who knows his shizz

Kona was listed at 215 on Rivals outta HS and is list at 290 on the roster now....

 

[garyasher]

Student Aid - ND gives lots of it.

Student Aid - ND gives lots of it.

Great for him and welcome Marquis, but this is very odd. Marianna, AR is a small town pretty much in the middle of nowhere and it's very poor - something like per capita annual income of $10,000. Maybe this particular kid comes from a family with money, but it's unlikely. How is he going to pay $50,000+ for school/does anyone know if preferred walk-ons are eligible for financial aid outside of athletic scholarships?

Pell Grants and more grants, just no President Grants.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

Pell Grants and more grants, just no President Grants.

That and the fact that his uncle played for fifteen years in the NBA.

 

[Old Man Mike]

This feels like a winner. Go Marquis!

 

[Luckylucci]

I'm starting to develop some expectations for this kid, more so than for most preferred walk-ons.

 

[Redbar]

Really excited about this pick up, not only because it is such an area of need, but because I believe this guy's goals are realistic and attainable. A lot of people will be pulling for you young man.

 

[Rhode Irish]

.

 

[Emcee77]

What a great story. Would love for this guy to come out of nowhere and become a contributor ... would be an even better story.l

 

[dublinirish]

says hes 275 lbs now, thats something to work with

 

[ND NYC]

Wouldnt it be great story if a kid from SEC country, who didnt recieve ANY college FB D-1 offers other than Ark Pine Bluff ends up helping ND win a natty as a walk-on here...i'll be rooting for Marquis. loved the ISD article thx for posting it.

 

[greyhammer90]

Cool. Also explains how he can walk on

 

[stlnd01]

This kid sounds awesome.

Also, this:

“I don’t see any reason why I shouldn’t go to Notre Dame"
Can we have him call Mr. Vanderdoes?

 

[irishroo]

Pell Grants and more grants, just no President Grants.

I refuse to believe athletes are eligible for need-based financial aid. That would be an enormous recruiting loophole

 

[NDdomer2]

I refuse to believe athletes are eligible for need-based financial aid. That would be an enormous recruiting loophole

he is choosing to pay his own way and willingly putting his body in more harm than a lot of people ever will unwillingly. to deny him financial aid because he wants to walk on would be ludacris.