On Campus: Marion Swamp Foxes

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>MARION |</strong> After one win over the past two seasons, Marion needed a breath of fresh air.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Swamp Foxes put together their best season in over two decades in 2023 but had been lost in the wilderness ever since.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If our recent visit to campus was any indication, the pieces are in place to get Marion football headed back in the right direction.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>New head coach Aundres Perkins, a former West Florence and Coastal Carolina standout, is preaching togetherness and accountability in his first weeks on the job as he tries to bring the Swamp Foxes back to respectability. Marion's first scrimmage, played one day before their spring game, featured flashes of potential along and a level of buy-in that is encouraging for a program on the rebound.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2157115' first='Amari' last='Green']</strong> and <strong>Joshaun Grant</strong> both took reps at quarterback for the Swamp Foxes. Green, a former tight end and defensive end, has impressive size, standing 6-foot-3 and weighing nearly 200 pounds, and possesses good arm strength. Grant, a guard on Marion's basketball team, has been away from football for several years, but throws a nice deep ball.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1816941' first='Robert' last='Wynns']</strong> leads the offensive line at right tackle, but the rising junior should also see plenty of time at linebacker. Fellow juniors <strong>Or'Monti Burch</strong> and <strong>Elijah Kinney</strong> will also be tasked with making a difference in the trenches. Wynns, who can also play tight end and defensive end, says the change in the Swamp Foxes is noticeable.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"I feel like, from the beginning [of spring practice], we're more of a team,” he said. “Last year we were all over the place. This year, we're more coordinated.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Grant showed off his wheels on multiple occasions, including a long run on a keeper. Rising junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1818266' first='Jaydin' last='Reed']</strong> will provide another good option in the ground game. Reed ran with explosiveness and is shifty in the open field but also was unafraid to lower his shoulder into defenders. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1824194' first='Da'Shawn' last='Davis']</strong> will be a valuable weapon for the Swamp Foxes as well, as he proved tough to tackle in open space. <strong>Asante McClellan</strong> is another rising junior with track speed who could be valuable piece at wide receiver and defensive back.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The defense proved incredibly opportunistic in the scrimmage, getting scoop-and-score touchdowns from <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1821489' first='Benjamin' last='Watford']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1824195' first='Kameryn' last='Davis']</strong> (pictured). Watford moves well and is a critical voice for a team needing senior leadership in this season of transition. Meanwhile, Davis may be Marion's most important player on the defensive side of the ball. Tasked with running the defense from his middle linebacker position, the rising junior say he can see the changes in the program taking shape.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“The last couple of weeks, we've improved on a lot,” said Davis. “We're looking very good this year. We're more mature. Last year, we were mainly a young team. Now, we're growing, taking things more seriously. The leadership is starting to fall into place; people are starting play their positions right. Everything is falling into place how it should be.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the defensive secondary, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1579223' first='Tyler' last='Nelson']</strong> will be a crucial performer. The rising senior finished with 20 tackles, three tackles for loss, and four pass breakups during his junior campaign. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1821491' first='Kaleb' last='Moore']</strong> is the headliner in the backfield, however, with 68 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, and five forced fumbles as a sophomore.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another key piece for the Swamp Foxes will be <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1822043' first='Jacaurie' last='Brown']</strong> and his versatility. After taking snaps at quarterback last season, Brown is working at running back, wide receiver and linebacker this offseason.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“I'm more comfortable playing my position now,” said Brown. “Last year, we were all over the place, doing what we wanted. It's different now.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Six of Marion's 10 regular-season opponents finished below .500 last season, including a combined 11-22 record among the Swamp Foxes' first three opponents (Kingstree, Aynor, Lee Central).&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Swamp Foxes, who had just 27 players participate in the scrimmage due to injuries and players who didn't meet attendance requirements, should have roughly 40 on the roster come fall. After losing 31 combined seniors over the past two seasons, the veteran players are entering 2026 with a renewed commitment to putting Marion back on track.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“This year, we're trying to change the whole program around,” Davis said. “We've got a new coaching staff, we've got a lot of new stuff coming in, a lot of blessings coming in. We just want to turn everything around and show everybody what great athletes we are because last year we weren't able to. This year, I feel like we have a great chance of showing everybody that we are great athletes.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->