2026 wide receiver Brady Marchese saw his production increase tremendously from his sophomore to junior season at Cartersville High and with that the attention he's gotten on the recruiting trail.
Marchese was impressive on the field for the Purple Hurricanes during the 2024 season as he was a big part of their run to a 12-1 record, region championship and trip to the Class AAAA Elite Eight. After hauling in just 10 catches for 143 yards as a sophomore, Marchese stepped into a much larger role and showed out as a junior, compiling 44 receptions for 1,051 yards with 11 touchdowns.
Since turning heads on film this past season, the college offers have started rolling in as Marchese has picked up 20-plus offers since November alone. Since the start of January and coaches being able to contact members of the 2026 class once again, he has received 11 offers alone.
"It's been exciting for sure," Marchese told JOL this week regarding the January recruiting frenzy. "I truly appreciate all coaches and schools that have recruited me to this point."
Among the recent batch of offers was one that Marchese admits he has been hoping for as the in-state school just down the road from Bartow County, Georgia Tech, extended him a scholarship. He said getting that chance from the Yellow Jackets means a lot to him and possibly having the chance to play once again with his high school teammate Jamauri Brice, who signed with Tech this past December, would be an incredible opportunity.
"Receiving an offer from Georgia Tech meant a lot to me. I love the GT Football program and coaching staff," said Marchese. "I have a lot of respect for Coach Key, Coach McKnight and Coach McKenzie. And having a chance to play with Jamauri again would be awesome!"
Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key stopped by Cartersville in person last week as he made the recruiting rounds in northwest Georgia, and Marchese said it was a great chance to talk about a possible future on The Flats.
"Yes, Coach Key stopped by Cartersville last week, and we had a great conversation," said Marchese. "We talked about the GT program and how I could fit in there. I could definitely see myself playing for Coach Key."
Also among the recent batch of offers in January were Auburn, Clemson, Florida State, Kentucky, Indiana and Ole Miss just to name a few. Marchese said he's not ready to narrow things down yet and name any top schools as he and his family are still in the middle of feeling things out and seeing which programs match up best for what he wants out of his college situation.
"Right now me and my family are just trying to connect with a number of the schools and coaches that have shown interest in me and figure out what the best fit would be," said Marchese.
With the uptick in recruiting attention, Marchese should have a busy next several months as he sets up visits to further gather information about the programs interested in him. He was in Tallahassee last weekend for Florida State's Junior Day and said he plans to be at Georgia Tech this Saturday for its Junior Day.
After that, Marchese isn't quite sure where else he will visit this Spring and Summer, but he knows he wants to dive in heavily to get things in order as he said his goal is to make a commitment before the start of his senior season at Cartersville.