6/29/2017 football Edit

Evaluation: Four-Star Huskies WR Commit Marquis Spiker at TheOpening

Lars Hanson • TheDawgReport

Publisher

BEAVERTON (OR) -- 2018 four-star Murrieta (Calif.) Vista wide receiver Marquis Spiker committed to Washington back on March 17, the second of three four-star receiver prospects to choose UW.

TheDawgReport.com got the chance to watch and evaluate Spiker Thursday morning during the first session at TheOpening.

First impression:

Aside from his prototypical NFL height at 6-feet-3, Spiker is the type of prospect that lets his work do the talking on, and off the field. During the first series of drills without quarterbacks, Spiker showed quick feet and instincts running various routes.

The second takeaway quickly noticeable is he's very astute the moment he steps on the field. Spiker isn't much of a talker, but what was clear is he picks up on coaching and tips very quickly, which will allow him to flourish early at Washington.

Best Element:

Going away from the easy choice of size, Spiker consistently showed strong ball awareness and anticipation coming out of hitch routes and all but once set himself up in perfect position to catch the ball.

The one time Spiker didn't haul in a reception Thursday morning, he listened to the coaching and came right back and showed why he's one of the nations best receivers. Spiker is very strong mentally and doesn't let any one result overshadow another, anther key part of Chris Petersen's program at UW.

Intangibles:

A common theme throughout our evaluation has been the "O.K.G" (Our Kind of Guy) mentality that Spiker has independently, aligning with Petersen's philosophy. Not only does he show all the intangibles that coaches seek in recruits on the field, but off the field as well by helping other receivers at Murrieta Vista HS (Murrieta, California) that don't have the experience he has.

Having a player in high school value over most everything else investing time in his teammates is something unteachable. Spiker is the perfect package of on field success and off field dedication that Petersen looks for during the recruiting process.