Better Know a Freshman: Marcus Dumervil

Do you know why Alabama owned LSU between the infamous 21-0 BCS defeat and the seven years after that? LSU couldn’t move Alabama’s offensive line, while the Tide had its way with the Tiger o-line.

Between the 2012 and 2019 NFL Drafts, LSU had a total of five offensive linemen picked and Trai Turner, taken in the third round of the 2014 draft, was the earliest selection. Over that same course of time, Alabama had 10 offensive linemen drafted and four went in the first round alone.

Wouldn’t you know that the same year LSU finally beat Alabama was also the year the Tigers had more offensive linemen taken than the Tide. Sure Jedrick Willis was taken 11th overall, but he was the only Crimson Tide linemen selected in April; meanwhile, LSU saw Damien Lewis, Lloyd Cushenberry and Saahdiq Charles all get picked in the third and fourth round.

The old adage was that if LSU could get quality quarterback play they’d be a force. While that’s true, I think what really needs to emphasized is if LSU could get dominant offensive line play then you’d see results. Marcus Dumvervil looks to be the future of the new and improved LSU offensive line.

The Story

When it came to recruiting Marcus Dumervil, it’s kind of amazing he wound up at LSU. There were two main competitors for Dumervil: his hometown Florida Gators, and the Louisville Cardinals. Louisville has ties with Dumervil; his cousin, Dejmi, currently plays along defensive line for the Cardinals, and his uncle Elvis was an All-American and won the Nagurski Trophy in 2005 at Louisville. Elvis Dumervil, if you recall, had a successful 12-year career in the NFL, racking up 105.5 sacks, made five Pro Bowls and was a two-time First-Team All-Pro with the Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens.

The Cardinals offered Dumervil a scholarship as a sophomore in high school. The Gators would offer a scholarship about six months later, midway through Dumervil’s junior year. LSU got in on Dumervil last, but had secured a commitment from his St. Thomas Aquinas teammate, fellow offensive linemen Marlon Martinez. Between having Martinez on board, the LSU offense setting record and the offensive line winning the Joe Moore Award, Dumervil had reason enough to spurn the Gators and Cardinals, and committed to LSU on early signing day.

“I want to win championships and kill opponents dreams in Death Valley,” Dumervil told Billy Embody of Geaux 247. I think Dumervil just became my new favorite Tiger.

The Numbers

Five-stars (98-110 rating): The top 32 players in the country to mirror the 32 first round picks in the NFL Draft. These are 32 players that we believe are the most likely to be drafted in the first round from each recruiting class. The full list of 32 with five-star ratings typically isn’t complete until the final ranking. Any player with a rating of more than 100 is considered a “franchise player” and one that does not come around in every recruiting class.

Four-stars (90-97 rating): These are players that we believe are the most likely to produce college careers that get them drafted. By National Signing Day, this number is typically in the range of 350 prospects, roughly the top 10 percent of prospects in a given class.

Three-stars (80-89 rating): This is where the bulk of college football prospects are found and it incorporates a large range of ability levels, all of whom we consider as possible NFL players long term.

Two-stars (70-79 rating): These are prospects that we consider to be FBS-level players with very limited NFL potential.

247 Composite Ranking: ****

247 Composite Rating: .9518

The Film

Tall, fairly lean build for a 300-pound prospect. Long arms. Balanced blocker with great body control and awareness in pass and run situations. Patient as pass protector with good punch, footwork and overall technique. Strong anchor and ability to redirect underneath. Some edge through the whistle but more finesse and calculated than most at this stage. Mature prospect who takes calculated risks on the outside. Comfortable in short and deep sets alike. Left and right tackle experience. Consistent producer with adequate run-blocking prowess at first or second level. Efficient enough in space but could work to add explosion in time. Scheme versatile. High floor type of prospect who could see near immediate playing time at collegiate level. Added strength and mass will come sooner rather than later. True tackle qualities Day 1 in college coming out of perennial national high school power St. Thomas Aquinas, where he also played on the defensive line. Should develop into a mid-round NFL draft choice.

Evaluation by 247’s John Garcia Jr.

The Future

Dumervil is as good an offensive linemen LSU has signed in recent years. Just outside 247’s composite top-100, Dumervil compares favorably to Austin Deculus and Kardell Thomas when they both signed with LSU, and current 2021 commit Garrett Dellinger. Don’t expect to see Dumervil take any meaningful snaps in whatever 2020 season we get. Deculus of course is going into his third year starting at right tackle and the staff is high on Dare Rosenthal’s potential at left tackle. But with Deculus graduating, look for Dumervil to get first dibs at being the next Tiger right tackle.

High End: Starter at right tackle in 2021, before ultimately moving to the left side in 2022 and develops into a third round pick

Low End: Provides quality depth

Realistic: Inherits the right tackle spot from Deculus, stays at the right side of the line for multiple years and helps usher in a new era of quality, NFL-caliber Tiger offensive linemen