2019 Four-Star DE Marcus Hicks Recaps Junior Day Visit

2019 Northwest (Kan.) defensive end Marcus Hicks‍ made his return to Notre Dame this weekend for a Junior Day visit. 

“It was great,” Hicks told Irish Sports Daily. “I got to meet with Coach (Clark) Lea, and I got to talk to all the coaches. I had one-on-one meetings with them, and that was nice. 

“I got to get a better look at the facilities, and it was a good environment to be in.” 

It was the first time the four-star prospect had gotten to speak with Lea since he was hired as the defensive coordinator. Lea made it perfectly clear where he saw Hicks fitting into his scheme. 

“He’s a great guy to get to know and to talk to,” stated Hicks. “He was explaining what my position was going to be like at strongside defensive end. He said I would be going after the quarterback and not dropping into coverage.” 

Mike Elston also has a great relationship with the 6-foot-4, 237-pounder and the two got a chance to reconnect on Saturday. 

“He was telling me how good of a school Notre Dame is, and I told him how high they were on my list,” said Hicks.

Another part of the visit that impressed Hicks was the new indoor facility Notre Dame will build across the street from The Gug. While the drawings were impressive, Hicks did admit facilities will be a perk of his decision, and won’t play a huge factor into it. 
 
“It’s going to be a really cool addition,” explained Hicks. “They talked about turning the second field into a turf field, and it’s just going to be really cool to see.

“It would be nice, but facilities aren’t going to be a game-changing thing in my decision.” 

Hicks also met with head coach Brian Kelly on Saturday. Kelly’s message was about picking the school for the school, and it’s something Hicks really took to heart.

“He told me coaches could come and go and he wanted me to think about what the school means to me,” said Hicks. “It’s something I really need to think about for all the schools I have visited.

“It’s tough because I’ve made good relationships with coaches. I need to keep in mind what the school is in itself.”