Manatee wrestler Marshall Craig makes commitment to Purdue

There was a time when Marshall Craig didn’t think he would consider wrestling at Purdue University. He grew up a fan of the Boilermakers because his mother and father attended the university.

Craig wanted to find his own path.

But as he grew older, Craig realized how logical it would be to head to West Lafayette, Ind. He loved the campus, and as a wrestler there’s no place better to be than the Big Ten Conference.

Earlier this month, the senior decided to commit to Purdue, and Wednesday evening he made it official with a signing ceremony in the wrestling room at Manatee High School.

“As I got older, I started to appreciate it more,” Craig said. “It became one of my top schools and one of my dream schools to attend, and then everything just fit in to place.”

Craig, who was the Herald’s All-Area Wrestler of the Year in 2016 and a first-team All-Area selection this year, will wrestle in the 125-pound weight class for the Boilermakers as a preferred walk-on. Craig concluded his career with Manatee in the 120-pound weight class and reached the Class 4A championship last month. He was a two-time medalist at the Class 4A meet.

“My plan is to redshirt my freshman year and then work on getting better that season, getting bigger, getting stronger, getting used to the program, the school,” Craig said. “After that, trying to break the lineup and get a starting spot.”

The Boilermakers, who have scored at least one point at the NCAA championships every year since 1983, were the only Division I program to heavily recruit Craig. He ultimately chose Purdue over a handful of Division III and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics programs, including NAIA Southeastern University in Lakeland.

The Boilermakers have also shown recent success in developing wrestlers in the lighter weight classes. Chashe Quiroga, Purdue’s second-most recent All-American in 2010, wrestled at 125 pounds.

“I really like the program; they have and all the amenities you get of being an athlete there,” Craig said. “The coaches are great.”

This story was originally published April 26, 2017 at 6:45 PM with the headline "Manatee wrestler Marshall Craig makes commitment to Purdue."