Transfer Portal Scouting: Marcus Bradley
Marcus Bradley, DL #92, 6’3”, 275, Fr., Vanderbilt, Quince Orchard HS (Gaithersburg, MD)
Background
Marcus Bradley is currently a defensive lineman for the Vanderbilt Commodores. He is a true freshman who played in two games during the 2021 season, qualifying him for a redshirt season. He has since entered his name into the transfer portal. Bradley was a consensus four-star recruit coming out of Quince Orchard High School in Gaithersburg, Maryland. As a junior in 2019, he made 41 tackles, 7 TFLs, and 3.5 sacks. He earned an invite to the Under Armour All-America Game but did not play football in 2020.
Bradley was a top-15 prospect in Maryland and a top-200 prospect nationally. He earned scholarship offers from nearly 40 schools, including Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, and USC. 247 Sports’ National Recruiting Analyst Brian Dohn wrote the following of Bradley:
Great frame with length. Carries 270 pounds easily. Combination of strength and athleticism is high. Can play defensive end in a 3-4 or defensive tackle in a 4-3. Explosive with body control and ability to change direction. Covers a lot of ground in first two steps. Strong at point of attack. Uses upper body strength to disengage and can redirect along line of scrimmage. Works hard to get off blocks and can pursue backside. Does not waste movement. Has to work on technique. Relies heavily on speed and burst at snap. Continued strength development is needed. Sometimes inconsistent in staying low when firing off at snap. Multi-year starter at high-level program. Day 3 NFL draft potential.
He was heavily recruited by Maryland and originally committed there in May of 2020. But he decommitted in November and ultimately flipped to Vanderbilt. Bradley was recruited by former Commodore star and NFL veteran Jovan Haye, who has been on Vandy’s staff for the last four seasons. He enrolled early at Vanderbilt in 2021 as part of Clark Lea’s first recruiting class.
Despite being a highly-touted recruit and early enrollee, Bradley did not see the field much as a true freshman. He only played in two games against two polar opposite opponents: Georgia and UConn. In those 44 snaps, he recorded two solo tackles and one tackle for loss. However, Bradley faced some disciplinary issues from the team, leading him not to play anymore this season. Head coach Clark Lea said the following about him:
Marcus is a talented person and player that doesn't quite have the behaviors and habits yet to be an active part of the program…Until he does, he's going to have to grow and mature, and we support him in that. But part of changing and transforming an environment is transforming the habits and behaviors that make up that environment, and we have to be really clear on what the expectations are and what a high-performance culture looks like and feels like. We're waiting on him to be a part of that.
This is a remarkably candid quote, especially from a first-year coach, about one of the stars of his first recruiting class. On November 1st, Bradley’s name appeared in the transfer portal, soon followed by three more players, including two other defensive linemen, one of who is a true freshman as well. As a former four-star recruit, he is already a hot commodity in the portal, and many Power-Five programs are already interested.
Strengths
- Bradley definitely has the size/frame to pack on more weight if the team wants to kick him inside to defensive tackle permanently.
- He has power in his hands with the ability to drive OTs back. Can frame opponents well with strength and hand placement.
- Nice inside swim move to get into the backfield against the run.
- Very good hustle/motor to follow the ball carrier from behind the play.
- Solid lateral movement skills on stunts and twists; could be really special there.
Weaknesses
- Slow off the snap, not timing get-off, limiting effectiveness as a pass rusher. Stance needs correcting to maximize burst.
- After the initial pop, he does not have enough strength to bull rush offensive linemen.
- Struggles to generate much pass rush with hand usage after the initial engagement. Does not have a developed repertoire of pass rush moves or pass rush plan.
- He does not have any inside/counter moves; he only wants to win around (outside) or through the offensive lineman.
- Once into the backfield, he needs to be more disciplined in gap integrity.
- Play recognition is lacking (to be expected for true freshman), struggling to diagnose run schemes or recognize play action/misdirection.
Projection
As with most young players, Bradley needs to work on the nuanced, technical aspects of the game. Most of his issues come from inconsistencies in his ability to gain and maintain leverage against his opponent. He needs to be more cognizant of keeping his pad level low and using/placing his hands correctly. Bradley still relies on his raw athletic gifts a bit as a pass rusher, but more experience and practice with coaches will arm him with a greater pass rushing arsenal.
Currently, my biggest concern with Bradley is the maturity and disciplinary issues that seemed to precipitate his departure from Vanderbilt. Without further information beyond Clark Lea’s quote, I think part of his issues could be tied to some practice habits. Nevertheless, these issues are not necessarily permanent, as Bradley is still young and could grow up. If Bradley transfers to Boston College, he would need lots of coaching from the staff. He would most likely not be part of the regular defensive line rotation until the middle of the season. There are flashes of great talent, but Bradley is still quite far from being a consistently useful finished product.
Notable Boston College Football Transfers
Jahmin Muse - Safety
Deon Jones - Safety
Joseph Sparacio - Linebacker
Kobay White - Wide Receiver
Aaron Boumerhi- Kicker
