Jason

Marshall

The rookie fifth-rounder played on 60 defensive snaps through the first two weeks of the season, but exited early in Thursday night’s contest against the Bills and did not return to the field. Playing almost exclusively as a slot corner, Marshall has allowed seven receptions on seven targets for 88 yards and a touchdown, with most of that coming in Week 3’s loss to the Bills. We’ll likely know more about his Week 4 availability later next week.

Marshall Jr. (6’0/194) stepped right into the starting lineup as a freshman in 2021 and went on to record a gaudy 2,418 snaps over his career with the Gators. In pass defense, Marshall flashes click and cover ability, having allowed a stingy 47.6% completion rate during his four years in Gainesville. However, he is a bit inconsistent at times against the run having recorded a 16%+ missed tackle rate in every season. Marshall has good awareness but he’s not as aggressive as he could be and lacks requisite makeup speed when he is in a trailing position. Overall, Marshall doesn’t really have jaw-dropping stats, but his build and versatility could land him in a special teams role with nickel potential as he grows.

Marshall (6'1/198) doesn’t receive a ton of attention, but has done well where Florida is concerned with the third-lowest completion rate allowed in a season (36.8% in 2021) by a Florida defensive back in the history of the program. He was named a potential breakout candidate by Mike Renner of Pro Football Focus after he finished out the 2021 season with 23 total tackles (15 solo), three passes defended and one interception.

Marshall (6'1/198) is still flying under the radar to a degree, but should be expected to take a further step into the public eye in 2022. According to Pro Football Focus, he’s allowed the third-lowest completion rate in a season by a Florida DB in program history (36.8% in 2021), behind only Quincy Wilson (32.7% in in 2016) and Marcus May (31.6% in 2016). He finished out the 2021 season with 23 total tackles (15 solo), three passes defended and one interception.

Marshall (6'1/198) doesn’t have the same amount of buzz surrounding him as some other defensive backs across the country do, but he’s coming into his own quickly. He finished out the 2021 season, his first with the Gators, with 23 total tackles (15 solo), three passes defended and one interception. According to Pro Football Focus, Marshall holds the lowest passer rating allowed on 20+ yard throws last season (7.6), putting him directly ahead of Roger McCreary (15.1) and Kris Abrams-Draine (24.5).

Marshall (6'2/180) zeroed in on the Gators at the expense of fellow finalists Alabama and Clemson. While the Miami native lacks for technical finesse and doesn’t scorch in terms of his straight-line speed, he brings it in terms of his length and all-around athleticism. Florida could have the option to try him on special teams, too, as Marshall has shown himself a strong kick-return presence. Rivals ranks the four-star cornerback as the No. 63 overall prospect in the 2021 class.

Those three schools, in alphabetical order: Alabama, Clemson and Florida. Marshall (6'2/180) is considered one of the best corners in this recruiting class, with the composite rankings of 247Sports listing him third at the position and 29th among all prospects. The Gators were able to get a visit from Marshall before the COVID-19 shutdown, and they’re considered the favorite to land the local commit (Miami Palmetto High School).