Quite the catch: Georgia WR commit Marcus Rosemy is really that good

Marcus Rosemy is smack dab in the way upper tier of one of the nation’s finest receiver recruiting classes in recent memory.

There are several WRs worthy of the 5-star status. Count Rosemy among them.

That was even before he did this over the weekend to rate No. 2 on ESPN’s “SportsCenter” Top 10 plays from Friday night.

The catch got everyone in DawgNation woke up again about Rosemy. But the reality is he makes a play like that look routine just about every practice day.

His coach at St. Thomas Aquinas, Roger Harriott, will explain.

“I wasn’t surprised that Marcus made that grab,” Harriott told DawgNation. “It’s not unusual for him to make that type of catch. He’s done that and then some before. Marcus is blessed with innate athleticism and hand-eye coordination.”

Harriott’s program has won 10 state titles in one of Florida’s top classifications since 1992. That will include two national titles in 2008 and 2010. Those last three titles were won in Florida’s Class 7A football.

Yet with that, there’s more to his story than just highlight catches.

“Marcus is an extraordinary human being from a holistic standpoint,” Harriott continued. “He’s more than an athlete. Along with his competitive nature, he’s a charismatic leader who’s coachable with humility and great work ethic on and off the field. Marcus Rosemy is a coach’s dream player and the type of teammate who prides himself on brotherhood. The ‘Dawgs got themselves a great one.”

Marcus Rosemy is a polished route runner with an ability to create separation with a large frame and also go find the football. (Jeff Sentell/DawgNation)/Dawgnation)

Marcus Rosemy on why he chose Georgia

The “why” he will be in Athens is pretty simple.

“I picked Georgia because I felt at home there,” he told DawgNation when he committed on June 20. “The family atmosphere there is unbelievable and it just felt right.”

He had a very strong showing on the camp circuit this summer. Rosemy was a ball magnet and sliced up coverages like his last name was Ginzu at the Rivals Five-Star Challenge. He repeated that showing at The Opening Finals.

The 6-foot-2, 195-pound senior clocked a 4.68 laser in the 40 with a 35-foot Powerball toss and a 36.9-inch vertical jump.

But the real eye-opener was the work he did in the pro agility shuttle.

He clocked that event in 3.97 seconds. If memory serves, it is the fastest showing of any Bulldog commit at the Opening finals this year or last year. That list includes notable luminaries and speed merchants like Dominick Blaylock, Nakobe Dean, Jalen Kimber, George Pickens and Nolan Smith, among many others.

He’s timed much faster than that in his laser 40. That was evident with his 4.59 showing on the laser at his Opening regional appearance back in February.

He plays football to better his family situation.

“It is just to move myself and my family to a much better place,” he said. “So none of us will ever have to struggle again.”

Rosemy had always watched the game on TV. He was intrigued. For sure. But didn’t start to play it until he was 11 years old.

It was a “whoa” moment for him.

“My first year playing and my first day out I was like ‘I’m actually pretty good at this’ and I just ran with it.”

Marcus Rosemy was drawn by the academics programs at Georgia. (Jeff Sentell/DawgNation)/Dawgnation)

When Georgia first turned Marcus Rosemy’s head 

The first time Georgia caught his attention was a few years back. It was another “93KDay” success story.

Chalk that one up as another “whoa” moment for Rosemy.

“I was like ‘whoa this is a spring game in April’ and I was like these people must be kidding with 100,000 fans out here today for the spring game,” he said. “I was like ‘oh my gosh’ and then I walked around and saw the whole campus. That day and that spring game were what really first turned my head toward Georgia.”

When one considers why Georgia can pull elite prospects like Rosemy out of Florida/FSU/Miami territory, chalk those moments up among a myriad of reasons. Those programs are not having those same moments on campus for recruits to experience on visits.

Georgia made the real move on his second trip to Athens. That’s when he came up to see Georgia back in March.

“They were just so real and so upfront,” he said. “Georgia never sugarcoated anything about what it will take to be great in their program.”

What’s his secret? How does he catch balls like the one in that tip drill?

“I just try to run routes and catch the ball every day,” he said.

He feels there is a strong bond already with Georgia QB commit Carson Beck in this class.

“It is going to be amazing,” Rosemy said. “I hope we have a great chemistry bond built up and we both win a national championship together one day.”

When he chose Georgia, he was pretty sure that was it. He even reiterated that in July.

“I’m done,” he said. “Once I commit, I’m not the type to flip. I’m not flipping unless something drastic happens like coach [Cortez] Hankton leaves or coach [Kirby] Smart leaves. If that doesn’t happen, then I’m done. I’m really done.”

He said the Bulldogs created the separation between schools like Florida and Ohio State in two key areas.

“The academics,” he said. “That was very big for me and so then was the football after that.”

Marcus Rosemy said this summer he was “done” with his decision unless something happens with Georgia receivers coach Cortez Hankton or head coach Kirby Smart. (Jeff Sentell/DawgNation)/Dawgnation)

Where Marcus Rosemy fits nationally amid a stout WR group

There are a select group of receiver this year that are in that final 5-star rankings conversation right now in my mind. Those are:

Yep. That’s quite the year when 14 of the nation’s top 75 players on the 247Sports Composite ratings are receivers. It was quite the task keeping up with all of them at the Opening finals out in Texas this summer.

Rosemy will run routes and carry himself in a similar frame as former St. Thomas Aquinas and Dallas Cowboys great Micheal Irvin. But that’s not the former NFL great he patterns himself after.

“That’s Calvin Johnson,” he said. “I was a big ‘Megatron’ fan. My favorite receiver of all time. I watched his highlight tape or his videos all day long. Every day.”

Rosemy plans to take his official visit later this fall for the Kentucky game. That might seem a little odd, but that’s the off week for his St. Thomas Aquinas program.