Fenwick’s Nate Marshall (9) jumps up to catch a pass and score against St. Francis.
Allen Cunningham/For the Sun-Times
Having a Power Five football coach bring a helicopter to your high school for a recruiting visit would turn the head of most prospects.
Not Nate Marshall though.
“The one thing you worry about with recruitment and especially this level of recruitment is it can change your kid,” Fenwick coach Matt Battaglia said. “He hasn’t changed one bit.”
That includes the aftermath of Miami’s Mario Cristobal coming to Fenwick in January and departing in a chopper as the battle for Marshall’s services was ongoing.
It’s over now. The state’s consensus No. 1 junior announced late last month that he’s committed to defending national champion Michigan.
Marshall, a 6-4, 265-pounder who also plays basketball for the Friars is a four-star defensive lineman. He’s ranked fourth nationally at his position and 39th overall in the latest 247Sports composite ratings for the class of 2025.
He’s the Wolverines’ second local commit in the class of 2025, joining Palatine defensive lineman Jaylen Williams. The 6-6, 265-pounder, another four-star prospect, is No. 6 in Illinois, No. 28 among defensive linemen and No. 230 overall in the consensus rankings.
Battaglia knew early on Marshall would be a big-time recruit in spite of his relative lack of football experience. His family has had tremendous success in basketball: his mom Khara was a three-time All-American who played in four NCAA Tournaments for DePaul and he’s the nephew of Ken Norman, who starred at Crane and Illinois before playing 11 seasons in the NBA.
But Marshall showed immediate promise when he joined the Fenwick football program as a freshman.
“I was not surprised by where he was ranked and all that stuff,” Battaglia said. “Freshman year, starting the playoffs, we knew.”
Marshall’s only improved since. Last fall, he was the CCL/ESCC Orange Defensive Player of the Year with 38 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, six sacks and four forced fumbles. He also excelled on offense, catching four touchdown passes as a tight end, and on special teams with four blocked kicks.
National recruiting analyst Clint Cosgrove, like Battaglia, wasn’t surprised to see Marshall’s recruiting take off.
“He’s just a physical freaking specimen,” Cosgrove said. “He checks every physical box you’re looking for. He grew a ton. He was lanky and thin when he was younger and he just grew into that body.”
Cosgrove can foresee Marshall becoming a five-star recruit and eventually playing in the NFL.
“There’s so much he can do,” Cosgrove said.
With recruiting behind him, Marshall is free to focus on his final year with the Friars.
“It has been a lot of pressure,” Battaglia said. “Now he can sit back and enjoy.”
Donovan Robinson picks Cavaliers
Loyola safety Donovan Robinson recently announced on X that he’s committed to Virginia.
The 6-3, 210-pounder is a consensus three-star prospect ranked 30th among Illinois juniors. He has more than a dozen offers, including Washington, Missouri and Arizona.