Get to Know Your Orange Man - #11 Marquis Spruill

Name: Marquis Spruill

Position: Middle Linebacker

Year: Senior

Height: 6'1''

Weight: 224

Hometown: Hillside, NJ

High School: Hillside

2012 Stats: After starting at middle linebacker the previous season, Spruill moved to outside LB in 2012.  He recorded 64 tackles (38 solo) and nine tackles for loss, which included two sacks.  He played in all 13 games for SU and started in all but one.  Spruill's total of 64 tackles topped his personal record of 62 in 2011.  In the season opener against Northwestern, he had eight tackles, two for a loss and one sack.  He now ranks tied for 10th all-time at Syracuse with 26.5 tackles for loss.

2013 Projections: Spruill is back starting at the middle linebacker position, where he played in 2011.  That season, he compiled 62 tackles and made the All-BIG EAST second team.  Expect another productive year, regardless of where he is on the field.  Phil Steele named Spruill as part of the 2013 Preseason All-ACC 3rd Team for linebackers.  It makes Spruill the highest ranked Syracuse defensive player behind Dyshawn Davis (1st Team LB).

How'd He Get Here?: After a disappointing 0-10 junior season at his high school in Hillside, Spruill was left without any scholarship offers.  He decided to make a switch and transferred to Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia.  Spruill had to wake up at 5:30 each morning and followed an extremely disciplined routine, according to Syracuse.com's Nate Mink.  It was, in Spruill's own words, "the worst five months of my life."

The hard work paid off. Spruill received offers from Temple and James Madison.  Doug Marrone and recruiting coordinator Greg Adkins noticed Spruill in Virginia and gave him an offer.

What'd Scout/Rivals Say?: Four stars from Rivals; two stars from Scout.

Money Quote: To The Daily Orange last October about what SU needed to do to beat Pittsburgh:

The key for us is everybody has to do their job. You can’t be scared. You can’t hesitate to make moves. You got to just do it and if you’re wrong, at least you’re doing it at 100 miles an hour, just do it and hopefully your teammates out there, they’ll fix you. Everybody, we just got to play, play like we know we can.

Links of Wonder: Here is the NFLDraftScout.com report on Mr. Spruill.  He is ranked 18th out of 161 inside linebackers and has a 40 Time of 4.64.

Interesting Nugget O'Interest: Spruill is very durable.  He played in all 38 games for Syracuse over the past three seasons.

Let Us Get A Look Atcha: Here is a recent interview with Spruill, courtesy of Christina Whiteside.