Marquan McCall Prepared for 2021 Season
It’s easy to see the hard work that Marquan McCall has put in during the offseason. The Kentucky defensive lineman is noticeably slimmer than he has been during his first three seasons in Lexington.
That’s not to say that McCall is suddenly small. According to the official roster, McCall is down from 379 pounds last year to 344 this season, which still makes him one of the biggest players on the team.
McCall takes a lot of pride in the condition he is in and the process it takes to stay there.
“I’ve been keeping going, learning how to pace myself,” McCall said. “Running after practice or whatever it takes to get myself into condition.”
Now a senior, McCall is ready to take on a bigger leadership role for the team this season. It’s a role he takes very seriously.
“The young guys look up to me,” McCall said. “If I did something, they would try to do it, just to follow me. I just have to show them the right aspects and just tell them I’m a leader and it’s time to step up.”
McCall has amassed 48 tackles in three seasons at UK, including 6.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. His primary job is to clog up the middle, something he continues to do very well.
The Detroit native is now more mobile than he has been, which creates a difficult matchup for offensive lineman trying to block him. Center Luke Fortner has gone up against McCall a lot during fall camp, something he knows is making him a better player.
“There’s not a time you go against Marquan and don’t get better,” Fortner said. “He truly moves faster than any human that size should. He has been changing the way he works. In offseason workouts, it used to be us telling Marquan to pick it up, now it’s Marquan telling us to pick it up. The way he’s approached it has been incredible. He’s a hard man to block.”
McCall also likes the work he gets against Fortner on a daily basis.
“Luke, he gives me good work every day,” McCall said. “He keeps pushing me. He keeps working, he never gives up.”
On more than one occasion this fall, defensive coordinator Brad White has mentioned UK’s need for a better pass rush this season. That’s something McCall would like to be a part of turning around. How do they do that?
“We’ve just got to do what coach says and we’ve got to dominate,” McCall said. “Just take the coaching and display it on the field.”
With the season opener less than two weeks away, does McCall feel like he’s ready to go?
“I feel like I’m ready, I feel like the team is ready,” McCall said. “We’re just taking it one step at a time and when that first game comes, we’re going to be ready for sure.”
By the looks of him, McCall is more than ready for the 2021 season to begin.
