Marquise Lightfoot

Served as one of team’s top performers and key member of rotation at defensive end…Saw action in all 16 games and made one start…Finished with 25 tackles (16 solo), 5.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks…Had one PBU and credited with six quarterback hurries…Played in season opener against Notre Dame (Aug. 31)…Posted four stops (two solo) with one tackle for loss in win over Bethune-Cookman (Sept. 6)…Had one tackle against USF (Sept. 13)…Logged two tackles (one solo) against Florida (Sept. 20), including first sack of season…Played in win over Florida State (Oct. 4)…Saw time vs. Louisville (Oct. 17)…Credited with four tackles (two solo) in win over Stanford (Oct. 25)…Had three tackles at SMU (Nov. 1), including half-sack…Played in win over Syracuse (Nov. 8)…Had two tackles vs. NC State (Nov. 15), including one tackle for loss…Saw time in win over Virginia Tech (Nov. 22)…Logged two tackles at Pittsburgh (Nov. 29)…Had pair of stops in College Football Playoff opener against Texas A&M (Dec. 20)..Both tackles in Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic against Ohio State (Dec. 31) were tackles for loss, including 4-yard sack…Had one tackle in VRBO Fiesta Bowl against Ole Miss (Jan. 8)…Made two tackles in CFP National Championship Game against Indiana (Jan. 19).

Saw action in nine games, largely on special teams…Credited with one quarterback hurry…Made career debut in Miami’s win over Florida A&M (Sept. 7)…Saw time in 2024 Pop-Tarts Bowl against Iowa State (Dec. 28).

One of nation’s top-ranked players…Five-star prospect in 247Sports’ Composite Rankings and On3 Industry Rankings…Five-star prospect by On3 and Rivals……Checked in as four-star prospect by 247Sports and ESPN…Rated No. 10 player nationally by On3 and No. 17 player nationally by Rivals…Cracked position rankings as No. 2 according to On3 and No. 2 by Rivals…Ranked No. 34 player nationwide by 247Sports, including No. 6 at position…Selected to All-American Bowl…Returned from injury during senior year to help lead Kenwood to second city championship in program history…Totaled 11 tackles in Broncos’ championship game win over Whitney Young…Finished junior season with 122 total tackles, nine sacks and one forced fumble…Earned Illinois High School Football Coaches Association 6A All-State honors after junior year…Picked to News-Gazette all-state football first team after senior year…Chose Miami over offers from Alabama, Georgia, Florida State, Ohio State, Notre Dame, USC and Washington, among others.