Meet the Freshmen: S John Marvin

On the same day that Justin Akins committed to Georgia Tech last June, the Jackets received a second commitment in the form of John Marvin. Marvin committed to Tech over offers from Louisville, Maryland, Cincinnati, South Florida, and others. One of the more impressive aspects of Marvin's recruitment was his dedication to the Flats. On National Signing Day Coach Andy McCollum was introducing Marvin, and spoke about how the night before Marvin had been getting calls from other schools right up until the time that he turned his phone off. As it would turn out, a lot of other schools were fighting to get Marvin to play there, yet he never wavered on his commitment. Really the kind of guy that we like to have on the Flats.

Marvin stands at 6'1" and weighs in at about 190 pounds -- fairly stout for a safety. His solid frame does him quite a bit of good -- watching his film shows that Marvin is a head-hunting, hard-hitting safety who enjoys playing a very physical brand of football. You'll also notice that Marvin has quite the nose for the ball and is a fairly reliable tackler for someone who regularly hits so hard. Aside from defense, Marvin was also his team's kick returner, where he was able to show off some solid speed and burst. Overall Marvin looks like a solid football player with good instincts and physical gifts.

One thing lacking from Marvin's film is a display of ball skills. As far as safeties go, his physicality and tackling ability is pretty top-notch. However, he doesn't appear to be too much of a ball-hawk. If Marvin can develop more of a knack for pass defense and pulling down interceptions, he has a chance to be a really special player for Tech. He's expected to play this fall on Special Teams, but most likely not in the secondary considering how full the depth chart is with guys older than him.

Do you see Marvin as a guy who can be a difference-maker his freshman year on Special Teams? Where does he fall in relation to our other players in the secondary?