“At the end of the day, it’s bigger than football,” Cleveland Heights’ Marquise Davis talks recruiting journey

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – Cleveland Heights running back Marquise Davis had a banner junior year.

Davis rushed for over 2,000 yards and 32 touchdowns. He was a finalist for Ohio Mr. Football and was named the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards, Male High School Athlete of the Year.

His natural talent was something that his high school coach, Mac Stephens, could recognize early on.

“To this day I still remember the first time he took the field here at Cleveland Heights at practice,” Stephens said. “It was in early June his sophomore year, and day 1 he really didn’t know our offense or defense but he had like four interceptions within the first half hour of practice, so we knew wow, this kid will be pretty special.”

Davis said he views Stephens as a mentor and looks to him for advice as he continues to grow as a dynamic athlete.

“We pick on each other and make fun of each other,” Stephens said. “But at the same time we know when to be serious. He can talk to me about anything whether it’s school related, or this crazy recruiting process that he’s going through.”

According to On3, Davis has received 29 offers from Division 1 programs and recently narrowed it down to ten schools.

Davis said when he’s considering what school he wants to go to, he’s not just looking at what teams can provide on the field.

“At the end of the day it’s bigger than football so I would want a relationship outside of football as well,” Davis said.

As he gears up for his senior year at Cleveland Heights, Stephens is holding him to a high standard, preparing him for what’s to come.

“You have a gift that 99 percent of high school football players across the country don’t have in terms of your athleticism and how he’s put together physically,” Stephens said. “So with that being said, more is expected of you especially in this Cleveland Heights program.”

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