Mizzou DT Marquis Gracial Impressing, Catching Eyes in Fall Camp

Entering his fourth year as a Missouri Tiger, expectations are higher than they've ever been for defensive tackle Marquis Gracial.

Based on his year-to-year improvements as a player and what's presented on the depth chart, the Tigers need Gracial to step up more than ever. Just one week into fall camp, Gracial already appears to be making the leap neccesary to rise up the depth chart, while also catching the eyes of the coaching staff.

"I would say Marquis Gracial has probably grabbed my eye the most, just the difference in how he plays and how he commands his performance," Head coach Eli Drinkwitz said on August 2.

Gracial received more opportunities than initially expected during the opening week of fall camp. His recent play might make the depth chart a little more complicated for the coaching staff.

"Sterling Webb was a little bit dinged up today," Drinkwitz said on Saturday. "Marquis came in there [and] made some big-time plays.”

Webb's injury is viewed as insignificant, but the rise of Gracial over the last week could throw a wrench in the depth of the defensive tackle room, in a positive manner.

The St. Louis native has long been expected to be a player who could contribute to Missouri's defense and eventually blossom into a starting-level player. Many thought the 2024-25 season would be the year that it happened, but he missed the mark.

Through the first week, it looks like this could be the season he does it. He has a humble confidence in himself and an endorsement from the Tigers' head coach to back it up.

"I would say so. But at the same time, I'm not really sure," Gracial said. "Just got to take it one day at a time, so we'll just see as time goes on. But I would say, the way I prepared, I feel pretty confident in
myself."

Gracial, a four-star recruit in the class of 2022, has been with the team for many years. He's been along for the ride with Drinkwitz and other positional coaches, while seeing plenty of failure and success.

In many ways, he's a veteran in a very competitive room of players. That can bring a different perspective to the table, being the player with the most Missouri experience in the room.

"I've been here the whole time, so I know how things go in the program," Gracial said on July 27. "I would say I'm pretty confident going into the season, just off of how I've prepared, but I'm still competing with everybody else in the room."

The competition surrounding him should help everyone in the defensive tackle group. Having a guy like Chris McClellan to lead everyone and then being surrounded by players like Webb, Jalen Marshall and Bralen Henderson absolutely should push him to his limits as a player.

"It really helps me a lot, just pushing me to be the best person I can be," Gracial said. "I know I don't have room to rest. I don't have room to just mess around."

McClellan is one of the many guys who's noticed the improvements that Gracial made and is continuing to make as the season inches forward. This comes from the leader of the defensive tackle room, which is high and meaningful praise.

"He's a good player," defensive tackle Chris McClellan said. "He pushes me to be better and I push him to be better and we work off of each other."

Another one of those players that he's been with was a guy he came in with in the class of 2022 at his position. During that four-year span, the pairing has become quite close, on and off the field.

Marquis and Jalen Marshall

Gracial and Jalen Marshall, an Overland Park, Kansas, native, have been side-by-side on the depth chart for what seems like multiple seasons. It seemed like that would be the case heading into this year, but Gracial is now taking the neccesary steps forward to see an increased role.

The two have now established a true friendship and it's clear there's a mutual respect for each other between them. Marshall has also noticed the leap that Gracial seems to have taken this offseason.

"He's one of my best friends," Marshall said. "He's a great player. He's taking some big steps forward this spring. His name is always towards the front of the leaderboard, and all the tests and pros that we do, and I think that this season will be big for him."

Outside of McClellan, Webb and now Gracial, the defensive tackle depth might appear cluttered. This could be a one-way path to Marshall seeing the field. Who he is as a person certainly could help with that, as well.

"Jalen Marshall is a good guy. He's funny. He brings a lot of character," Gracial said. "He's also very competitive. He's gone. He's gonna play for us this year."

The competitive nature of all the defensive tackles, but especially Gracial and Marshall, helps to push everyone in the position group to be better. This is likely the case for all the positions, but the two see it in a different way.

Since they are so close and they know what to expect from each other, they can continuously change the ways they push one another. It's very possible that's a reason why Gracial is receiving this praise early into the fall.

"We've been here longer, so we both came in as freshmen. I've seen him play, he's seen me play," Gracial said. "We lined up against each other [when] we were younger, so think [I] we'll be able
to."

The steps forward that Gracial is taking stem from many different reasons. He's a self-proclaimed confident player and has been said to be a very hard worker. Now, all he has to do is put it together on the field and begin the breakout season many thought could be on the way.