2025 DL Juju Marks Talks Top Schools, Notre Dame & More

Juju Marks‍ took another step in the recruiting process last month, when the 2025 Kansas defensive lineman trimmed his list to a baker’s dozen.

On Feb. 23rd, the St. Thomas Aquinas High School standout announced a Top 13 of Notre Dame, Kansas, Alabama, Michigan, Miami, Oregon, Tennessee, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Texas A&M and USC.

“I would say culture and just who's been recruited me the most,” Marks says in general of the schools that made the cut.

He’ll be applying the same test as he continues to go through the process and further narrow his list.

“Who really continues to reach out to me and my family and see who has the best to offer,” he says of how he’ll trim the list down even more.

He has a couple visits locked in at the moment.

“I have officials set up for Kansas and Missouri,” says Marks, noting the Missouri official is at the end of May and the Kansas trip is a week later.

“But otherwise I don't have anything else set up.”

Notre Dame has been on Marks’ list since he was offered and visited for last summer’s Grill & Chill.

“I guess irony is I didn't think I would like them,” he says. “I attend private school and I'm not really a fan of it, but I actually really liked Notre Dame.

“It's a beautiful campus. The coaches are really down to earth. There are a lot of 2025 commits, so I'd be around people that are like me and you can't beat the Ivy League kind of education plus the national level type football.”

Most of Marks’ communication with Notre Dame has been through defensive coordinator Al Golden and defensive line coach Al Washington.

“Those two for the most part and Coach (Marcus) Freeman every now and then,” he says. 

The message from the Irish staff has been a simple one. 

“Notre Dame is the place to be,” Marks says of the pitch.

Washington, Golden and Freeman have made positive impressions so far off the field.

“Outside of football, they care about you,” says Marks. “They care about you as a young man, they care about how you're doing academically, not just football. We're not robots.”

While he doesn’t have anything set yet, he does intend to get back to South Bend in the coming months.

“For sure,” he says. “I'll be getting to them sometime during the spring or summer.”

Marks hopes to have a final decision sometime in July.

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