Marsalis Teague, the 5-foot-10, 175-pound three-star athlete from Henry County High School in Paris, Tenn., is playing quarterback for his high school and has started his season quite well, passing for over 210 yards and rushing for approximately 300 yards. He has four touchdowns passing and three rushing, leading his team to a 3-0 record.
Although Teague is ranked as the No. 28 quarterback in the country by Scout.com, he says his future in college is at cornerback. "They are all recruiting me for corner," Teague said. "Vanderbilt and Tennessee have talked about both corner and receiver and Ole Miss and Duke have been talking about quarterback and receiver, but most of them are saying defense."
Teague has 13 scholarship offers and now has a solid top two. "Miami and Florida (most recent offer) are pretty much neck and neck," he said.
Following the 'Canes and Gators are Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Clemson and Georgia Tech. All of his favorites have offered.
"I watched the Miami/Florida game on TV and was actually pretty impressed by both teams," Teague said. "I thought that Miami really played Florida tough and even had a chance to beat them for a while.
"They are a young team and are up-and-coming," he said. "They were able to hand in with Florida and that's impressive."
Teague admits he wasn't sure what to expect from the 'Canes this season. "I didn't think this was going to be the year they turn the program around," he said. "But I'm feeling good about them. They should have a good season."
He grew up following Miami as a kid and plans on unofficially attending the Florida State game on Oct. 4.
A week later (Oct. 11) he plans on visiting Florida officially for the LSU game. "I really think with Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin, and all the young guys they've got, that Florida has a good chance to compete for the national championship.
"I was impressed with how Florida raised their level against Miami and put them away at the end," he said of the Gators.
Teague says the Gators are also recruiting him the hardest. "They send me a lot of handwritten notes and letters," he said. "Plus now that they can call they make sure to call every week. I really like (cornerbacks) coach Vance Bedford. He says that I'd fit into their system well at cornerback."
The only other official visit he has already scheduled is with Tennessee for December, although he isn't sure of the exact date. He will also be at the Vols/Gators game on Sept. 20.
"I was pretty surprised that Tennessee lost to UCLA," he admitted. "They had their chances but couldn't capitalize, but I think they can come back. They're gonna be hungry for a win and will be determined to prove themselves."
Another team that suffered a surprising loss in Teague's opinion was Clemson (losing to Alabama in the opening weekend). "They got hammered by Alabama," he said. "But that's not gonna change how I feel about them. I think they'll rebound and still have a good year."
Teague visited Clemson during the summer and loved his experience. "I had a great time there," he said. "It's a fun college town and I love the atmosphere."
He plans on attending the Tigers rivalry game against South Carolina on Nov. 29 (unofficially).
Although he doesn't have any visits (official or unofficial) planned to Vanderbilt or Georgia Tech yet, he says he hopes to visit both. "I have a really good relationship with all the coaches at Vanderbilt," he said.
"They are starting to develop into a good team and they already have great academics. It's the total package and soon they'll be competing for the SEC," Teague said.
"I'm also pretty impressed with coach Paul Johnson and what he's done at Georgia Tech already," he said. "I think the triple option is looking good.
"I actually just talked with (cornerbacks) coach Charles Kelly and he said to go to their website and check out their highlights," he said. "He really wants me to come to a game there."
Teague used to have Michigan on his top six list, but admits he no longer feels strongly about the Wolverines. "I just can't really see myself playing there," he flatly stated. "I don't think I'd be too comfortable there."
Expect Teague to make a decision shortly after the season. "I want to take my visits before I choose," he said. "But if I feel 100 percent ready before then, I will do it.
"I'm just looking for a chance to come in and compete," he said. "I want to play early and make an impact on the team. As long as I'm comfortable, I'll go anywhere."
Teague reports a perfect 4.0 core GPA (4.0 scale) and a 21 ACT, which he plans on retaking in the fall.