Commitment Spotlight: Nathan Marcus

Vanderbilt secured a commitment from Nathan Marcus, a 6-foot-5, 220-pound tight end from Glenbard West High School in Glen Ellyn, Ill. After taking visits this spring to Northwestern, Illinois, Wake Forest, Duke, and Vanderbilt, Marcus felt he was ready to give his pledge to the Commodore staff.

"This week I called Coach Rahne," said Nathan Marcus. "He said he could take my offer and to call Coach Franklin. So I called Coach Franklin and committed to him, and he was very excited. Then he told me I should call Coach Bankins. So I got to talk to all three of the core coaches involved in my recruiting [to Vanderbilt].

"I felt a long-term connection with Vanderbilt. The school sold me when I visited over spring break. I got to watch the team practice. Then Saturday I had a chance to see a scrimmage. I also got a chance to talk to some of the players like Josh Jelesky and Kris Kentera and thought I fit in well with them. Vanderbilt's a great school in a great conference with top of the line education."

Although Vanderbilt had been recruiting Marcus, he did not receive an official offer from the staff until the Thursday he arrived on campus in late March.

"The [Vanderbilt] coaches see me developing into a blocking and catching tight end," Marcus said. "They liked my versatility and my ability to stretch the field. They also said they liked my athleticism and size with a frame to expand on."

Now that a decision has been made on college, Marcus can give his full attention to helping his team, the Hilltoppers. They are losing departing seniors, Tommy Schutt and Johnny Caspers.

"We didn't throw the ball a lot last season,” said Marcus. "I had between 25 and 30 catches for 350 yards and seven or eight touchdowns. Sometimes they split me out as a receiver or I can stay attached to the line.

"Next year, I want to improve both on-and-off the field as a leader, keep developing my blocking game, and work on getting bigger in the weight room. We have some good senior players and some young talent coming up. I want to go out a state champion."

Marcus was named All-Area, All-Conference, and Academic All-State in 2011. His first offer came after the season in December from Boston College. In addition to football he also runs track and plays basketball at Glenbard West in the Chicagoland area. Follow @VandyManiacom