Marcus Applefield, Weeki Wachee OL (6-7, 275)
The latest: Applefield reeled in his first Big Ten offer Tuesday morning when Purdue extended him a scholarship opportunity, Hornets coach Mark Lee said in a text message. The Boilermakers give Applefield seven offers in the last five days. Florida, West Virginia and Auburn have also expressed interest in the senior.
Offers: Marshall, UMass, Rutgers, FAU, Vanderbilt, USF, FIU, UCF, Kentucky, Virginia, Purdue
Last season: Applefield was one of the top performers for a growing Weeki Wachee program. He opened holes for the Hornets’ 1,500-yard ground game and helped lead the team to three wins in the team’s first season of all-varsity competition.
They say: Not much. Despite almost a dozen offers, he’s not nationally ranked by Rivals or 247Sports. His profiles on those sites have no stars – and he’s not even listed in Scout’s database.
We say: Applefield has blown up this spring to become one of Tampa Bay’s hottest recruits. His lean, 275-pound frame projects well as a D-I tackle. The first major college recruit in program history is putting Weeki Wachee on the map. Expect more big-name offers to keep coming as colleges learn about the program and its top recruit.