STILLWATER – You may have seen it by now on social media or on On3 Network’s Michigan site, but Pokes Report has lost our recruiting editor Marshall Levenson. Still a student at Oklahoma State, Marshall in just a few short years has become an invaluable member of our team. You could call him an MVP member of the Pokes Report team. A former high school baseball standout, Marshall has always had a love for recruiting and when he hooked up with us he was an instant sensation. I too had that love of recruiting and remember telling Bob Barry Sr. when I worked for him at Channel Four in Oklahoma City that I wanted to cover football recruiting. Bob said, “you’re crazy and no one will watch that.” Then when we did a series on the recruiting of Mike Gundy and covered a visit weekend at the University of Oklahoma, Bob had to back track in a big way.
I loved covering recruiting and began to write for Super Prep and for Prep Star magazines. Marshall had that same fascination with recruiting and what makes prospects choose the schools they sign with. He was covering LSU recruiting for Rivals when he was in high school. Marshall may have a future in working in the recruiting side of the business for a football program someday. His expertise is that strong. He is a excellent communicator.
The Michigan On3 site has tens of thousands of subscribers and makes a lot of money, and they are paying Marshall more a month than our site makes total on average. That is the way it is with internet sites and Oklahoma State is not been a school where fans flock to subscribing to internet sites. With covering the Cowboys, you have to have a passion. Marshall also has the security of a full-time job offer waiting with the Michigan site upon graduation.
I celebrate that for him and I’m excited for him. He will always be special to me. I love seeing young people in this business do well. He will do very well.
Zach Lancaster and I will pick up and continue to cover recruiting the way we have. We have a commitment to that. I also have a plan to bring in a new “recruit” that I think could be very good at following, uncovering, and communicating with Oklahoma State prospects in recruiting. We will let you know that in the future, but today is for celebrating Marshall Levenson. He is a standout that is only going to get better as his career continues. Thanks and the best of luck to Marshall!
