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UCLA Football: How Future Bruin Marquise Thorpe-Taylor Could Help Solidify Offensive Line

Analyzing a future piece of the Bruin offensive line amidst a season of struggles upfront.

Matt Solorio

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Mount Tahoma (Tacoma, WA) class of 2024 offensive tackle Marquise Thorpe-Taylor committed to UCLA on May 20th, 2023. 

He is currently the 4th offensive tackle committed to the Bruins’ 2024 recruiting class. Rated a three-star prospect by 247 Sports, he’s one of the best prospects in his class from the state of Washington. He committed to the Bruins by passing up offers from Stanford, Cal, and Arizona to name a couple.

So, what makes him special? We took a look at his high school film to see how he has progressed throughout his young career and to better understand what the Bruins will be getting from the 6-5, 315-pound Mount Tacoma product.

Finisher. That’s the first word that comes to mind after watching his sophomore and junior season film. Once Thorpe-Taylor gets a firm grip on defenders, he has a knack for finishing with his blocks with a pancake. Consistent pancakes are the result of active footwork upon engaging a defender, meaning Thorpe-Taylor’s feet are also one of the traits that stand out.

His approach to pass protection is highlighted by aggression. He’s a serial quick setter, meaning instead of kicking back and waiting for the pass rush, he’ll jump out and attack off the ball. Thorpe-Taylor’s junior season was an even more convincing example of his ferocity. He plays like a bully, a trait that offensive line coaches covet.

With his size, he should be pushing for some reps early on in his career as a Bruin. UCLA, still, has some work to do on the recruiting front if they intend on further solidifying their first freshman class as they enter the Big 10 next season. 

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Matt Solorio
MATT SOLORIO

Matt Solorio is a UCLA Bruins On SI reporter/analyst covering football recruiting, NIL, and other topics. He is also a Recruiting Analyst for Sports Illustrated All-American and an editor at SugarAndSports.com. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, he brings a technical approach to his coverage of football recruits. He played defensive end at City College of San Francisco, coached at Archbishop Riordan HS (San Francisco, Calif) and is committed to providing UCLA fans with interesting, informative, and engaging content. 

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