2019 Kansas DE Marcus Hicks Makes Colleges Take Notice

The size, speed and power are likely the first things college recruiters notice about Marcus Hicks‍, but it’ll take a while before the 2019 Kansas defensive end’s coach at Northwest High School gets to those.

“First of all, he does the intangible stuff that as a coach, you don’t have to worry about,” head coach Steve Martin says. “When I talk about intangible stuff, he’s great in the classroom. He’s in our gifted program here at Wichita Northwest. He just does a great job in the academic realm.”

Hicks was placed in the accelerated program long before he got to high school. He’s also great in the school community, according to his coach.

“Most football players tend to gravitate to their own kind, but if you look at Marcus, Marcus hangs out with every kid in the school,” Martin adds. “It’s something to see because you have a 6-5, 240-pound kid walking around with little guys who don’t play any sports. He just does a good job of relating. He’s got a great heart.”

Hicks has been late to just one of the 6:30 a.m. workouts Northwest holds every day and that was only because of a lengthy trip to Texas A&M the prior weekend.

“He’s got a great family background that has centered his life on some very good core values and you can see it with how he goes about the recruiting process and average daily life,” Martin continues. “It’s real exciting for me.

“He is such a team player. I don’t know if you can find a better teammate than him. He’s one of those kids who encourages other kids and helps kids in the weight room and stuff like that.”

Hicks’ intelligence may have held him back a tad early in his career, but there’s no doubt it’s a strength at this point.

“When he’s a kid at that high level, he wants to go through the process a little bit in his brain,” his coach explains. “You could kind of see as a freshman and sophomore the wheels were turning. He was trying to understand why we do things instead of just playing sometime.

“Last year was real nice. We felt it was the first year he ripped the chains off. He started to play fast and play hard and had a great year. We’ll play him at defensive end and sometimes we’ll stand him up as an outside linebacker and that helps with a smart kid.”

The character and intelligence are complements to his physical gifts.

“Number one is explosiveness,” says Martin. “He’s a 375-pound hang-cleaner. He kind of surprised me when we went out and ran laser-timed 40s right before spring break and he hit like a 4.56. For a kid who is 6-5, pushing 6-6 and 240 pounds and moving, that’s a nightmare.

“There’s a reason he’s being recruited at the Division-I level by not just local, regional colleges, but as a national recruit. The kid can run, he can explode. He can get off the ball. He’s one of those kids who’s got the total package.”

Hicks started landed offers early in the process and had dozens before cutting his list to 10 last week. With the help of his father behind the wheel, Hicks was able to visit several campuses and some multiple times before trimming his list.

“They have done a great job researching and the best way to research colleges is to get out and get on campus and not just once,” Martin says of Hicks and his dad. “It’s all about relationships. I think whichever school he feels like he has the best relationship with the staff is where he’s going to go. Whether it’s North, South, East or West, I think it’s going to come down to where he feels comfortable and the best relationship he has with the staff because he is a people guy. That’ll be big in recruiting him.”

Multiple trips to South Bend helped the Irish secure spot on the list of finalists.

“I think it’s the historic mystique about Notre Dame,” says Martin. “It’s going to be a 40-year decision for him. It’s one of those things that’s appealing to him and his dad because I think every kid dreams about going to the NFL, but what are you going to do if that dream doesn’t happen or you’re not able to play for multiple years in The League? You’re going to have to fall back and have a career.

“I think the academic side for Notre Dame really appeals to Marcus being a smart kid who values his education. I think it’s a good mix for him, a good fit.”