Prospect To Watch - 2022 Tight End Marlin Klein
6'6" 220 pounds and extremely athletic. Those would be the descriptors of Marlin Klein. Klein has prototypical size and ability for the FBS level of college football. However, Klein has anything but a prototypical football background.
Klein is a native of Germany and only began playing football three years ago. Since that time, he's grown both physically and in his knowledge and love for the game and has turned quite a few heads along the way. This included a camp that high school coaches attended a couple of years ago in which the staff Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School was able to see the size and talent of Klein on full display. Not long after, Klein would be leaving Germany and heading to Rabun Gap, a private boarding school in far Northern Georgia.
All of this seemed a little surreal to Klein. In a recent conversation, Klein explained to us at Dawgs Daily on SI.com what the move was like. "I left my home, family, and friends just to keep chasing my dream. I arrived at Rabun Gap and my focus was 100% on making it to a D1 school and then to the league." When asked how gratifying it was that major offers were now rolling in, Klein said, "It shows me the hard work and the steps I've taken are paying off now."
Paying off indeed. Arizona State, New Mexico, Michigan, Georgia Tech, Nebraska, Michigan State, Akron, USF, ECU, TCU, Charlotte, Indiana, Colorado, Purdue, West Virginia, and Cincinnati have all officially offered the emerging star tight end. Also, despite not having an offer from Georgia, Klein describes Purdue, Michigan, and Georgia as the three schools recruiting him the hardest currently.
Klein initiated that contact by following Todd Hartley on social media and Hartley followed back. Eventually, Georgia's Tight End Coach also reached out to Klein's Head Coach at Rabun Gap Joseph Sturdivant. Sturdivant got Klein to contact Hartley and now Klein tells us, "I'm building a really good relationship with him (Todd Hartley) right now."
It's obvious that the Dawgs and Hartley are intrigued by the athleticism of Klein. Klein has posted several videos of various displays of athleticism, many of which have been liked or retweeted by Hartley. The offer has not come yet, but with Klein playing his high school ball in the state of Georgia, I wouldn't be surprised if this fall there is a contingent of Georgia coaches and staffers taking in some football at the picturesque campus of Rabun Gap and subsequently an offer is extended to Klein.
Klein has good hands and is becoming a more fluid runner and crisper in routes with each day. He has a frame that will allow him to continue to pack on good weight. Once Klein catches the ball, he's difficult to bring down and shows great instincts for a player with limited history playing the game. Look for his recruitment to continue to develop throughout this fall and into the spring.
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