2018 USC Football Roster
Roster
Marvell Tell III
- Position:
- Safety
- Height:
- 6-2
- Weight:
- 195
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- Pasadena, CA
- High School:
- Crespi
@marvelltell7 
@marvelltell7 • In the News
CAREER: He has 164 tackles, including 5.5 for losses (with 1 sack), 8 deflections, 4 interceptions (with a TD) and a fumble recovery in his career. He has appeared in 37 games in his career, with 29 starts.
2018: The rangy Tell returns for his third season starting at free safety as a senior in 2018. He could be in line for post-season honors.
2017: Tell started for his second year at free safety as a junior in 2017. Overall in 2017 while starting all 14 games, he had 85 tackles (third on USC), including 2.5 for losses of 9 yards (with a 6-yard sack), 3 interceptions (1 for a TD), 2 deflections and a fumble recovery. He made 2017 All-Pac-12 first team and Phil Steele All-Pac-12 second team and won USC’s Co-Lifter of the Year Award.
He had 8 tackles, a deflection and returned an interception for a 37-yard TD against Western Michigan, had 3 tackles against Stanford, 4 tackles and an interception against Texas, a team-high 12 tackles at California, a team-best 7 tackles at Washington State, a game-high 10 tackles (0.5 for loss) and a deflection against Oregon State, 4 tackles versus Utah, 5 tackles at Notre Dame, 6 tackles at Arizona State, 7 tackles (0.5 sack) against Arizona and 4 tackles (0.5 sack) at Colorado. He had 6 tackles (1 for a loss) and returned an endzone interception for 27 yards against UCLA to earn CollegeSportsMadness.com Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week honors, then had 3 tackles against Stanford in the Pac-12 Championship Game. He had 6 tackles and a fumble recovery against Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl.
2016: Tell started at free safety as a sophomore in 2016 and was steady all season. Overall in 2016 while starting all 13 games, he had 43 tackles, including 2 for losses of 7 yards, 2 deflections and an interception.
He had 3 tackles (1 for a loss) against both Alabama and Utah State, 5 tackles at Stanford, 6 tackles at Utah, 3 tackles against Arizona State, 2 tackles against Colorado and Arizona, 8 tackles, an interception and a deflection versus California, 2 tackles and a deflection against Oregon, 1 tackle at Washington, 4 tackles at UCLA, 2 tackles versus Notre Dame and 2 tackles versus Penn State.
2015: Tell was an often-used strong safety as a first-year freshman in 2015. Overall in 2015 while appearing in 10 games (all but California, Arizona, Colorado, Oregon) and starting twice (versus Stanford in the Pac-12 Championship Game and Wisconsin), he had 36 tackles, including 1 for a 2-yard loss, and 4 deflections. He broke his collarbone against Utah and missed the next 4 games (California, Arizona, Colorado, Oregon).
He had 8 tackles and a deflection against Wisconsin, 7 tackles against Stanford in the Pac-12 Championship Game, 6 at Arizona State, 3 against Arkansas State and Idaho, 2 versus Stanford, Washington (with a deflection), Notre Dame (with a deflection) and UCLA (with a deflection) and 1 against Utah.
HIGH SCHOOL: He made the 2014 Prep Star All-American Dream Team, USA Today All-California, Cal-Hi Sports All-State second team, Orange County Register Fab 15 first team, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, All-CIF Pac 5 Division and Los Angeles Daily News All-Area second team as a senior safety and wide receiver at Crespi High in Encino (Calif.). He had 54 tackles (5 for losses), 8 deflections and an interception on defense and 15 catches for 251 yards (16.7 avg) with 3 TDs on offense in 2014.
As a 2013 junior, he made Cal-Hi Sports All-State Junior second team as he had 41 tackles, 2 interceptions and 2 deflections on defense and 15 receptions for 253 yards (16.9 avg) with 3 TDs on offense despite missing several games with a broken collarbone.
He had 52 tackles and an interception as a 2012 sophomore.
PERSONAL: He is a real estate development major at USC.
