Defensive line has been an enormous priority for the Missouri staff in the 2022 recruiting cycle. While the Tigers have missed on a few of the line targets in recent classes with Tyson Ford and Gabriel Rubio both committing to Notre Dame, Eli Drinkwitz can at least hang his hat on one major defensive line target staying home.

Even with all the certainty in the world - and there was a ton - you can’t bank on a guy committing to your school until he officially makes it known and, today, Eli Drinkwitz and the Missouri Tigers picked up the commitment of highly ranked in-state Defensive Tackle Marquis Gracial from St. Charles, MO:

Defensive line is a priority this cycle, not only because of a few misses at defensive line, but they also have several spots to fill on the interior line for 2022 as there are several lineman slated for graduation. This is a major local commitment for Drinkwitz, as Gracial also marks the third commitment for the Tigers of players ranked inside the Rivals top 250.

Get to know: Marquis Gracial

Hometown: Saint Charles, MO

High School: St. Charles High School

Position: DT

Ht/Wt: 6’5, 285

Rivals Ranking: 5.8

247Composite Ranking: 0.9252

Total announced offers: 24

Offers to note: Alabama, Oregon, Arizona State

Marquis has a nice blend of size and speed that is particularly unique to an interior defensive lineman. An extremely quick first step, and high level hand usage allows him to be an effective pass rusher from many different positions on the field. There’s also plenty of reason to think he’s got a lot of untapped potential, as he’s only played organized football for four years.

What they’re saying: