USC football: Trojans have shown 3-star offensive lineman prospect 'a lot of love'

Marquise Thorpe-Taylor, a 3-star offensive lineman prospect out of Tacoma, is eager to check out USC

STORY BY ANDREW NEMEC OF SBLIVE SPORTS

Marquise Thorpe-Taylor, a 3-star offensive lineman prospect out of Tacoma, is eager to check out USC. He was very excited when he received the Trojans scholarship offer.

"I feel like it's big, big, big for me," he said. "Coach (Josh) Henson has shown a lot of love over the last few months. He stopped by the school a couple of times to check up on me. We've been able to communicate, and I've talked to coach (Lincoln) Riley a few times."

Thrope-Taylor could be in line to add a fourth star soon, as his stock continues to rise. The 6-foot-5, 290-pound lineman is one of the top tackle prospects in the Northwest and clearly Pac-12 programs are taking notice. 

WASHINGTON HUSKIES LOOK LIKE CURRENT FAVORITE

On Saturday, Thorpe-Taylor visited Washington, where the Huskies extended him a scholarship offer and rolled out the purple carpet.

"It was just me, my mom and a few of my teammates that I brought with me," he said. "They came in on a Saturday with not a lot going on, so they just gave me a tour around the building. Everything just showed how much they care about me. Coach (Scott) Huff and coach (Kalen) DeBoer both had talks for about an hour, one-on-one. It was just a really good talk."

Given that Thorpe-Taylor grew up watching Washington, he admitted the Huskies are going to be a major contender in his recruitment.

"It's going to be tough (to beat) because they are the home team and I looked up to them when I was young," he said. "My family... nice and close to home, so it was really exciting to meet the new coaches. It was a great experience."