Full disclosure, this was supposed to be posted yesterday, but SOMEBODY (me…it was me…was up in the mountains). At any rate, today we will be highlighting LB extraordinaire…
#53, Marco Notarainni, RS Senior, LB
Stats
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 238 lbs (-2)
High school: Torrey Pines HS, San Diego CA
How’d he get to The Blue™?
Marco got to the Blue via…the Silk Road! Okay, not really. In actuality, he got here as a three-star recruit after a 3 year career at Torrey Pines, where he racked up 148 tackles, six sacks, 2 interceptions, and even 562 rushing yards and 10 TDs, just for good measure. He held offers from a number of Mountain West schools, Oregon State, and even Columbia; of the Ivy League. So, one of them wicked smaht kids, apparently.
Nickname
“Polo”
Too easy.
Look-alike
Dead ringer for Hercules. Still. Even with an updated photo.
Career Highlights
Marco played one game in 2021 and two in 2022 before suffering a season-ending injury. In 2023, however, he really stepped up when DJ Schramm went down. He played in nine games, starting five, and had 29 tackles (4.5 for a loss), 3 sacks, and one forced fumble. 2024 was the logical continuation of his upward ascent. He played in 14 games, started 4 (more a fluke of packages, rather than worthiness), and was named All-Mointain West first team. His stats for 2024 included 60 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 3 PDs, and two fumble recoveries.
Additionally, his high school highlights can be viewed here.
2025 Prospectus
Marco has weathered some storms in his time as a Bronco, fighting from the bottom of the depth chart, as well as the pain and recovery of a season ending injury in 2022. However, he has now successfully climbed that mountain and stands atop it. He is not only a key piece of the defense, but one of the best linebackers in the conference and one of the leaders of the team. He seems ideally situated to again earn all-conference honors, at a minimum, and really, he has the measurables to potentially play professionally, once his college career concludes.
Is he on Twitter?
Yes. @Marco_N08
Fair warning though: He rarely posts.
Completely made up fact
Marco actually got offers from Columbia University in New York AND Colombia in…Colombia. But he decided he would rather major in business administration over coffee and the result is, we got an all-conference LB!
This guy should go right from football to the movies. He’s got the looks. I don’t check the recruiting results for players on other rosters, but it seems many of them have offers from Ivy League schools and the military academies. They have to be sound academically and of good character.
Hope you enjoyed the mountains.
[…] of 32,982, it began with Boise State’s defense forcing back-to-back turnovers. The first, a Marco Notarainni fumble recovery, and the second an A’marion McCoy interception… but they only came away […]