MD #27

Marcellas Dial Jr.

Cornerback · South Carolina

A sixth-round South Carolina corner whose promising second season was cut short by a torn ACL before it even began.

Marcellas Dial Jr. carved out a real role on New England's defense and special teams as a rookie, only to see a torn ACL wipe out his entire 2025 season. He now enters his third year looking to reclaim the special-teams and secondary snaps he had earned.

★ Sixth-round pick (No. 180 overall), 2024 NFL Draft

★ 17 games played as a rookie, primarily on special teams

★ 114 career tackles and three interceptions at South Carolina

Path to the league

Dial began his college career at Georgia Military College before transferring to South Carolina, where he played from 2021 to 2023. He appeared in 38 games with 29 starts for the Gamecocks, totaling 114 tackles, three interceptions and 28 pass breakups. The Patriots drafted him in the sixth round (No. 180 overall) of the 2024 NFL Draft, the first defensive player New England took that year.

Career highlights

As a rookie in 2024, Dial played in all 17 games, recording 12 tackles and a forced fumble while working primarily on special teams, a role that positioned him for a bigger part in New England's defensive rotation heading into his second season.

2025 season recap

Dial tore his ACL before the first snap of the 2025 season and was placed on injured reserve on August 5, ending his year before it started. He spent the season rehabbing rather than building on his rookie-year momentum.