Mizzou DT Marquis Gracial Catching Eyes in Fall Camp

Entering his fourth year as a Missouri Tiger, expectations are higher than they've ever been for defensive tackle Marquis Gracial.

Based on his year-to-year improvements as a player and what's presented on the depth chart, the Tigers need Gracial to step up this season. Just one week into fall camp, Gracial already appears to be making the leap necessary to rise up the depth chart, while also catching the eyes of the coaching staff.

"I would say Marquis Gracial has probably grabbed my eye the most, just the difference in how he plays and how he commands his performance," head coach Eli Drinkwitz said in a press conference Saturday.

Gracial received more opportunities than initially expected during the opening week of fall camp. His recent play might make the depth chart a little more complicated for the coaching staff.

"Sterling Webb was a little bit dinged up today," Drinkwitz said. "Marquis came in there, made some big-time plays.”

Webb's injury is viewed as insignificant, but the rise of Gracial over the last week could throw a wrench in the depth of the defensive tackle room, in a positive manner.

The St. Louis native has long been expected to be a player who could contribute to Missouri's defense and eventually blossom into a starting-level player. Many thought the 2024-25 season would be the year that it happened, but he missed the mark.

Through the first week, it looks like this could be the season he does it. He has a humble confidence in himself and an endorsement from the Tigers' head coach to back it up.

"Just got to take it one day at a time, so we'll just see as time goes on," Gracial said to Missouri On SI. But I would say, the way I prepared, I feel pretty confident in myself."

Gracial, a four-star recruit in the class of 2022, is in some ways a veteran in a very competitive room of players. That can bring a different perspective to the table, being the player with the most Missouri experience in the room.

"I've been here the whole time, so I know how things go in the program," Gracial said. "I would say I'm pretty confident going into the season, just off of how I've prepared, but I'm still competing with everybody else in the room."

The competition surrounding him should help everyone in the defensive tackle group. Having a guy like Chris McClellan to lead everyone and then being surrounded by players like Webb, Jalen Marshall and Bralen Henderson absolutely should push him to his limits as a player.

"It really helps me a lot, just pushing me to be the best person I can be," Gracial said. "I know I don't have room to rest. I don't have room to just mess around."

McClellan is one of the many guys who's noticed the improvements that Gracial made and is continuing to make as the season inches forward.

"He's a good player," defensive tackle Chris McClellan said. "He pushes me to be better and I push him to be better and we work off of each other."

Another one of those players that he's been close with is Marshall, his classmate in the class of 2022. The two have grown close on and off the field.

The two have been side-by-side on the depth chart for multiple seasons now. It seemed like that would be the case heading into this year, but Gracial is now taking the necessary steps forward to see an increased role.

"He's one of my best friends," Marshall said of Gracial. "He's a great player. He [took] some big steps forward this spring. His name is always toward the front of the leaderboard and all the tests and pros that we do. I think that this season will be big for him."

Outside of McClellan, Webb and now Gracial, the defensive tackle depth might appear cluttered. This could be a one-way path to Marshall seeing the field. Who he is as a person certainly could help with that, as well.

"Jalen Marshall is a good guy. He's funny. He brings a lot of character," Gracial said. "He's also very competitive. He's gonna play for us this year."

Since they are so close and they know what to expect from each other, they can continuously change the ways they push one another.

"We've been here longer, so we both came in as freshmen. I've seen him play, he's seen me play," Gracial said. "We lined up against each other [when] we were younger, so think we'll be able
to."

The steps forward that Gracial is taking stem from many different reasons. He's a self-proclaimed confident player and has been said to be a very hard worker. Now, all he has to do is put it together on the field and begin the breakout season many thought could be on the way.

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