WAUWATOSA, Wis. — Marcus Mbow is just one of the many names you might hear called next week at the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay.
The former Tosa East Red Raider has been projected to go as high as a second round, but football wasn't always his first love.
“I never really was thinking I was going to be playing football for a living, especially coming into high school," Mbow recalled.
For most of Mbow's high school career, football was just one of the many sports he enjoyed playing with friends.
“He always played football and basketball," Beth Mbow, Marcus' mother, recalled. "He also did track in high school, but basketball was his passion.”
Mbow was a part of Tosa East’s 2021 State Basketball Championship team, which defeated Kimberly 62-44 in the Division 1 title game.
However, in a change of events, he also had 21 Division I football offers. He credits his former head football coach Dave Pfieffer for steering him toward the idea of playing collegiately.
"He just came up to me (when he was hired), and he was like, you're 6'5, 280 pounds, you're probably not a basketball player," Marcus explained. "So I kind of just started to buy into what he was telling me and started to learn about football and the o-line spot.”
Mbow was originally committed to Arizona State, but the Sundevils ultimately rescinded their offer.
While his parents recall him being crushed, it led him to the Purdue Boilermakers.
Another smooth athlete at tackle who could benefit from sliding inside in the league: Purdue's Marcus Mbow.
— Corbin K. Smith (@CorbinSmithNFL) April 9, 2025
He glides out of his stance - consistently beating opponents to his spot and sealing them to create creases for running backs. Exciting athlete with some pop in his hands… pic.twitter.com/0JrtyuNaSN
“You know, he picked up the pieces, had good conversations with other schools, and he ended up choosing Purdue," Demba Mbow, Marcus' dad, shared. "It couldn't have been a better fit for him and what he was looking for in life.”
In 2022, Mbow started 14 games at right guard as a redshirt freshman.
That’s where he started dreaming about a possible career in the NFL, but Mbow faced a roadblock in 2023 after suffering a season-ending leg injury against the Iowa Hawkeyes.
“First we were just so upset and worried that he wasn't going to be able to fulfill his dreams, but like with anything else that Marcus faces — any challenge — he came back from adversity working harder, a different mindset, like a different drive and hunger for the game," Beth recalled.
Watch: Marcus Mbow's road to the 2025 NFL Draft
“The way he came back, even his offensive line coach was like he's playing at a level I've never seen," Demba added. "Like this is something special, and you should cherish it. That's what he told me.”
Mbow is projected to be Day Two draft pick and could go as high as the second round.
While he still has one year of college eligibility remaining, he said he was motivated to earn a spot in the 2025 NFL Draft class.
“I remember a couple years ago when there was rumors that the draft would be in Green Bay, and it was kind of like damn, I got to get there," he remembered.
It's a full circle moment his parents can’t begin to envision with the 2025 NFL Draft being in Green Bay, Wis.
"It's going to be emotional," Demba expressed. "You know, just seeing his dream come true. That's what every parent wants, right? I hope it happens for him, and that it opens the door to a very successful career in NFL.”
Between the Senior Bowl, NFL Combine and Purdue’s Pro Day, Mbow has communicated with all 32 teams.
Four of them invited Mbow to Top 30 visits, which includes the Giants, Eagles, 49ers, and Vikings.
The NFL Draft takes place in Green Bay from April 24-26.
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