Georgia Tech Recruiting: Meet the Recruits - RB Marcus Marshall

As a Recruit:

Marcus Marshall became Georgia Tech's 25th signing of the 2015 class in January when he signed shortly after taking his official visit to Atlanta. At 5'9", 200 lbs., Marshall played running back in high school at Millbrook High School in Raleigh, North Carolina. His brother, Keith, also graduated from Millbrook before signing with Georgia. Keith was a more highly coveted recruit, but the two have drawn many similarities in their games. After being fairly unnoticed for most of his high school career, Marcus had a monster senior season and began drawing increased interest late in the recruiting process. He chose the Jackets over offers from Boston College, NC State, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, and others.

Film:

Marshall's senior year highlight tape is pretty incredible. I'm not sure of the actual number, but it seems like he scored about 50 touchdowns due to the ridiculous amount of TD highlights. The entirety of the first nine minutes are filled with touchdown runs. What I notice about Marshall is that he seems to be a balanced back. He mixes very good speed with a downhill, one-cut running style that uses nice power for his size. The majority of his runs are up the middle where he uses nice vision to find his holes and get straight downfield. Unlike some of the other A-Back recruits in this class, Marshall seems to be more traditional in terms of running in between the tackles.

What to Expect:

The general thinking of most has been that Marshall will find himself at A-Back due to two other recruits that seem to be inked in at B-Back. I don't agree with that thinking. I believe Marcus would fit in very well at B-Back if he gained around 10-15 lbs. of size and used a redshirt to really transition into that role of running. His below average height isn't necessarily a bad thing in terms of finding holes and being harder for big lineman to get low and make tackles for short yardage. His speed is a dimension that is always a plus for the B-Back in CPJ's offense, and his ability to make the big play from a possible dive up the middle is the home run in the triple option that always devastates a defense. I feel that Marshall has the skillset to be a B-Back because of what he's shown in primarily running in between the tackles and because of his downhill, one-cut style running. As we've stated in the past, there are plenty of carries available right away at both running back positions, but either way, I expect Marshall to redshirt this season no matter what the staff chooses for him. Don't be surprised to see Marcus given a chance at B-Back and to be a guy that can make big plays down the line for the Jackets.

Side note: Marshall wore #21 in high school. 21 has always been my favorite number since the days that Calvin roamed around the Flats. The number was worn by star receiver Jonathan Smith before CJ and has also been well represented since his departure with Jonathan Dwyer and Charles Perkins both having very respectable careers during their time at Tech. With Perkins graduating, it will be interesting to see who takes on the available number as they attempt to carry on the legacy of #21 being one of the most dangerous players on the field for the Jackets in recent years.

Congratulations on your commitment, Marcus. You made a much better decision than your brother!

Where do you think Marcus should play? Will he redshirt his first year? Do you like the idea of him being the next #21 on the Flats?