Countdown to 2018 IUFB Kickoff: 48 Days (Nick Marozas)

Written by Evan McShane (@veryreasonable)

Countdown to 2018 IUFB Kickoff- 48 Days (Nick Marozas)

Height: 6’5”

Weight: 270 pounds

Hometown: Oak Lawn, IL

Class/Position: FR/OL

Nick Marozas, from the Chicago suburb of Oak Lawn, is thrilled to join the Hoosier football program. Marozas will bring some agility to Indiana’s offensive line group. In fact, Brother Rice head coach Brian Badke convinced Marozas to focus on football despite a budding basketball career. "Nick is a guy who is very athletic and agile," Badke said. "His first love is basketball. I remember saying, 'Nick, your ticket is going to be football.' He took off with it and ran with it." Starring at left tackle, Marozas was the leader behind an offensive line that propelled Brother Rice to average over 45 points per game. He is ranked in the top-100 for offensive linemen per 247Sports Composite, and he has some impressive film on Hudl to back up his rankings.

Marozas had offers from well over a dozen schools and his final four included Indiana, Minnesota, Virginia, and Cincinnati. Although the Hoosiers were late to his recruitment, he fell in love with Indiana right away. "Indiana wasn't even really talking to me before they offered me," he said back in June. "It was really unexpected when I got the offer a few months ago. They immediately then jumped to the top because of where I'm from there is a lot of alumni from around here. I went down for a visit, and I was immediately hooked." Another bright young talent has bought in to Tom Allen and IU.

The multi-sport athlete had always prioritized playing for a Big Ten school within a reasonable distance from Chicago. "I wanted to stay somewhat close to my house, so my parents could see my games," he said. "Playing in the Big Ten is an honor. Growing up in the Midwest, that's what you watch: Big Ten football. There's an unexplainable feeling when you walk onto a campus, and Indiana had that feeling for me. It felt like home. Indiana was my top school the whole time.” Coach Badke sums up Marozas best, “He has tremendous upside. His motor doesn’t stop, and he plays through the whistle and he really developed into a good leader for us.” Allen and his staff are keen on good leaders and impressive athletes. Nick Marozas fits the bill. Today, he becomes a Hoosier.