20 most hyped college football recruits of all-time
By Dustin Hull
3. Marcus Dupree
Marcus Dupree had the greatest combination of speed and size of any running back on this list, so it’s a tragedy that things didn’t pan out for him.
Dupree was of deity status as a high schooler in Mississippi, where thousands would show up to each of his Philadelphia High School games. And if I had been alive at that time in that town, I’m sure I would’ve been there too. Imagine seeing a guy at 6’2” and 220 pounds with the capabilities of doing double-digit 400-pound bench presses and running a sub-4.3 40-yard dash.
Dupree scored 87 touchdowns in high school, breaking Hershel Walker’s record, and has been considered not only the best player in the state’s history but still the greatest high school running back of all-time. Considering the kind of things Derrick Henry, Adrian Peterson, or Emmitt Smith did in high school, that’s really saying something.
He was endlessly hyped by the media, courted by Texas, Oklahoma, and UCLA among others, and received nearly 100 phone calls every few days from recruiters during his senior season. He was even promised $250,000 from one school, and an oil well from another if he’d only commit. Seriously.
Dupree signed with the Longhorns only to later flip to Oklahoma, only adding to the frenzy that was Marcus-mania. He was compared by some to be a faster Earl Campbell and came to Norman with far more hype than his idol and Heisman winner Billy Sims had.
After Dupree had an incredible freshman year, things spiraled quickly. He was stricken by injuries, celebrity, and the NCAA rules, and never was the same despite turns in the USFL and NFL. Even though he never lived up to the magnificence of his publicity, he is still one of the most freakishly athletic individuals to ever put on the pads.
Next: Todd Marinovich