At 5-foot-4, 150-pounds, Marquis Barrolle doesn’t look like a college football player.
But do a quick YouTube search and quickly find out he is. And a pretty good one at that.
Watch Barrolle, the talented Texas Lutheran junior RB, bounce off defenders like a pinball and sprint down the right sideline for an 83-yard TD against Southwestern Assemblies of God. Watch him hurdle over a pair of defenders and into the end zone against Hardin-Simmons. Watch him hide behind his blockers and find a hole for a long gain.
The pint-sized RB has beaten the odds and solidified himself as one of the top RBs in D3 football.
Barrolle was the leading rusher in D3 last season, running for a school-record 1,792 yards in 11 games. That included a school-best 288 yards in a win over Howard Payne.
“He’s just a delight to watch,” said Texas Lutheran coach Danny Padron, following the game against Howard Payne. “We don’t have to block them all. That’s the neat thing about him. He’s going to make a couple miss and bounce off a couple. He’s got enough speed that he can outrun the secondary.”
He showed his durability with 50 carries in one game and tied a school mark with four TDs in another. He was also second in the country with 162.9 ypg.
He highlighted a Bulldogs attack that was one of the most prolific in the nation, ranking 14th in total offense.
His small stature allows him to hide behind towering linemen. Then with his electrifying speed and vision he reappears, and by that time it’s too late for opposing defenses – he’s already gone. Barrolle also has deceptive power, strength and balance, allowing him to break tackles and bounce off defenders who don’t expect it of him. He was a gymnast growing up, too, which has helped.
“I just kind of hide behind the line, let ’em block and then find the crease,” Barrolle told the San Antonio Express. “It’s kind of cake from there.”
As a freshman for Texas Lutheran, Barrolle, who is from Ingleside, Texas, showed glimpses of his special rushing ability. He ran for 382 yards, averaging 5.7 per carry, before a thumb injury sidelined him late in the season. He’s only improved from there and still has two seasons left.
Look for Barrolle to continue to put on a show, cause headaches for opposing defenses and, once again, be among the nation’s leading rushers. It should be an exciting battle between Barrolle and St. John’s RB Sam Sura for the D3 rushing crown in 2015.
Barrolle and Texas Lutheran open their season on Sept. 5 at Sul Ross State.
