PA Lineman Getting Big-Time Attention

PA OL/DL Marques Slocum already has offers from 18 schools and the list will continue to grow. Slocum is another player who attended both the Nike Camp and the Penn State junior day this past weekend. What does he think of Penn State? What factors will be important in his final decision?

Name:	Marques Slocum
Position:	OL/DL
Height:	6'4 1/2"
Weight:	330 pounds
40 Speed:	5.06 seconds
Hometown/School:	St John Neumann HS, Philadelphia, PA

Philadelphia’s Marques (pronounced Mar-KEES) Slocum is large in both size and potential. The two-way lineman, who is attracting the attention of most major schools, spent two days at University Park this weekend, attending both the Nike Camp and the Penn State junior day. Lion News had a chance to meet with Slocum after his outstanding performance at the Nike Camp.

How did he do at the Nike camp?

“My 40 was a 5.06. I did bad in my shuttle. I know I could have done better, but I didn't scratch it. It's okay, I'm not going to make any excuses. I think my best was a 5.24. Another thing I was disappointed in was my bench press. I thought I could get 26, but I got off to a slow start. 22 is all right.”

And how did he like the junior day?

“It was good. Coach Johnson, the D-Line coach, is a great coach. I really respect him for what he’s doing at Penn State. I liked everybody here. Coach Van (Vanderlinden), he's a great recruiting coach. Joe Paterno, he’s a great coach. Penn State, you can’t say anything bad about them.”

Is Penn State recruiting him for offense or defense?

“They haven’t told me yet. Hopefully, the D-Line. They split us up into positions yesterday. I went to defense. We watched film on Courtney Brown.”

Has Penn State talked about an offer yet?

“No. Really they just got my film.”

How many offers does he have so far?

“I have 18. Miami's coming on Monday.”

What's his interest level in Penn State?

“I like them. I like every school.”

Does he have a top 5? On what criteria will he base his decision?

“I don’t have a top 5. Monday, I’ll have a top 19 (when Miami offers). I’m [going to base my decision on] going to bowl games, depth charts, when I’m going to come in and play, graduation rates for players and black athletes, when the last time they went to a bowl game was, if they go to a bowl game every year, if they can compete for the national championship. Everything factors in. Also, if they have my major. I want to do Animation. That’s a big field.

“Everything's going well. The recruiting process is treating me well. Sometimes it gets boring hearing the same thing, but it's worth it. Them telling you that you have to get back your grades makes you want to work harder, because you want to get to college, you want to play, you want to be eligible.”