Marcus Rios In-Depth

(Click on the story title for a link to Rios' YouTube highlights.)

Marcus Rios was the earliest football commitment in Boise State history when he gave his verbal earlier this week.  The Cosumnes Oaks High School  (Elk Grove, California) star will join former teammate Robert Ash (a 2011 Boise State recruit) and former Elk Grove defensive back Brandyn Thompson as a Boise State Bronco.

“No one will work harder,” he said.  Robert (Ash) and I will become champions.  Rios has been a Bronco fan since the seventh grade and attended camp at Boise State last summer.

Rios had already received scholarship offers from Arizona State and Washington State and had received interest from Arizona, California, Colorado, Fresno State, Nevada, Northwestern, Oregon, Oregon State, San Diego State, San Jose State, Stanford, UCLA, UNLV, USC, Utah and Washington.  In other words, even though each of the 12 Pac-12 teams wanted Rios, he prefers to come to Boise State. 

That is a landmark statement.  The Pac-12 didn’t invite Boise State in its expansion last year, but the student-athletes prefer Boise State over the Pac-12.  Better get used to that.

Rios (6-0, 170) played free safety last season as a junior at Cosumnes Oaks, recording 47 tackles, an interception and an 83-yard return for a touchdown.  He also brought a kickoff back 96 yards for a TD as a sophomore.  Rios also played some on the other side of the ball, rushing 4 times for 11 yards and catching 7 passes for 77 yards.  He averaged 27.4 yards on kickoff returns last season.

Rios also is on the track team this spring at Cosumnes Oaks, with an 11.6 time in the 100-meters.