Framed Caleb Williams and Olu Fashanu jerseys hang at Gonzaga College High School football coach Randy Trivers’ office. They’re mementos representing two of the program’s best players in recent years.

The Washington, D.C., prep school has sent 16 players to the NFL, but it has a particularly rich history at the tight end position.

Maryland commit Brayden Marko is the latest Division I tight end who Gonzaga has produced. The 6-foot-6 three-star prospect hopes to add to that legacy.

“It’s a privilege, honestly, to be able to play in the same jerseys as some of these guys,” said Marko, a senior. “It’s exciting to know that I’m able to help continue and build that lineage and help build this program.”

Some of Gonzaga’s previous tight ends include Cam Ball at Mississippi State, Burke Carroll at Georgetown, Joey Haynos, who attended Maryland from 2003 to 2007 and played two seasons in the NFL, and Colin Cloherty, who played three seasons in the NFL.

Marko credited Gonzaga’s tight end history as a core reason he chose the high school.

Nate Kurisky, now at Louisville, was a senior when Marko visited Gonzaga as an eighth grader. Marko spoke with Kurisky during the visit, asking what it took for him to reach the Division I level.

That conversation, along with watching Kurisky play during his visit, convinced Marko to choose Gonzaga.

“I saw how Gonzaga has produced such high-level tight ends,” Marko said. “And compared to other schools recruiting me, I saw more potential at Gonzaga.”

He added that he attended the rivalry game against St. John’s [College High School] in his eighth grade. Marko was able to see how the school used tight ends and knew immediately that this was the school he wanted to play for, he said.

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Marko gave a similar reason for committing to Maryland. Especially under coach Michael Locksley, the Terps have heavily featured tight ends in their offense, as Gonzaga does.

Since the Tennessee Titans drafted Chigoziem Okonkwo in the fourth round in 2022, he’s become their starting tight end and one of their top targets in the passing game. Georgia State transfer Dorian Fleming has continued the trend this season, ranking second on the team in receptions with 21 and fourth in receiving yards at 171.

Going back further, Maryland has produced 17 tight ends who played in the NFL, including nine since 2000. Frank Wycheck, Ferrell Edmunds and Vernon Davis — who was drafted sixth overall in the 2006 NFL Draft — all made multiple Pro Bowl appearances.

Shannon Marko, Brayden Marko’s mother, said Brayden grew up watching Big Ten football. Playing for a Big Ten program with an extensive history of using tight ends as pass catchers was a “natural fit,” said Shannon Marko.

Brayden Marko prides himself on being a versatile tight end, a skillset he hopes to carry with him to College Park.

“I always think of myself as the pure, do-it-all tight end. So being able to block, and also being able to route run and catch the ball,” Marko said. “I feel like that will really help … the Maryland offense, being able to do both.”

Trivers said Marko improved his hand-eye coordination during his time at Gonzaga, which made him a better receiving tight end. Marko said the extensive training programs he did shaped his growth.

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Marko’s development and overarching aspirations to play Division I college football required significant sacrifice, though.

He lives in New Market, Maryland and commutes to Gonzaga every day, which takes about an hour and a half. Before he could drive, Marko’s parents would drop him off at a train station 40 minutes away. Marko would do his homework on the train, so he could immediately go to sleep when he got home.

Shannon Marko said between athletics, academics, commuting and the community service that Gonzaga requires, her son has effectively given up his social life on his journey to playing for a Division I program.

Gonzaga quarterback Jason Lindsay said he’s never doubted Marko’s commitment.

“In my years of being here, [I] never had to question Brayden for the type of teammate he’s going to be [or] the type of leader that he’s going to be,” Lindsay said.

Trivers recognized Brayden Marko’s physical potential when he first met him. He recruited Marko, though, because he felt he had the mental makeup to realize it. Trivers said Marko has since proved him right.

The veteran coach called Marko a low-risk, high-reward investment for Maryland.

“I think Maryland’s getting a student-athlete that is going to be committed to his craft and is going to have a high standard for himself,” Trivers said. “You have great success with those kind of guys.”