Signing Day Capsule: Rivals100 cornerback Jason Marshall
Checking in
Name: Jason Marshall
Class: 2021
Position: Cornerback
Height/Weight: 6-foot-1, 173 pounds
Location/School: Miami (Fla.) Palmetto
Rivals Ranking: 47th-ranked prospect | third-ranked cornerback | 11th-ranked senior in the state of Florida
Committed to: Florida Gators
Why Marshall picked the Gators
"I have a good relationship with them. During the pandemic, they've been texting me and checking up on me. So, I have a real, strong relationship with them.
"I would just say how they recruit. How Dan Mullen, he ingratiates himself with his players' recruitments and the players there. Basically how they go about their program.
"Just staying home, being close to home,. My parents, they are able to travel to the games easily and really just repping Florida.”
Film Room
This is a kid who does a great job of swinging his head around and tracking the football. He showcases a disciplined style of play and then really impresses with the ability to high-point over his opponent. He also turns heads at wide receiver and reeled in several eye-opening grabs a season ago, so his ball-hawking skills don't come as a surprise. Marshall's hands and concentration are top-notch for a high school cornerback.
You also have to love his confidence when thrown out on an island. He does a nice job of reading and reacting and doesn't provide much wiggle room downfield. Marshall plays with physicality, especially in the red-zone, but makes himself available to the ball and plays under control. Marshall checks off a whole lot of boxes and has the makings of a program's No. 1 cornerback.
Marshall doesn't shy away from getting his nose dirty in the run game either. He does a good job of providing that pop at the point of attack, and will be even more effective as he continues to fill out and become more explosive, especially in his lower body. He does a fairly good job of wrapping up his opponent as well. If the ball is not secured, Marshall will look to rip it loose and force a turnover, and did exactly that as a junior. This is a feisty defensive back who shows active hands, whether he's providing run support or extending out to record an interception or a deflection.
Marshall isn't a blazer but possesses above-average speed and showcases it in a variety of ways. He recorded multiple defensive touchdowns in 2019 and has experience as a returner as well. There are some things to work on from a technical standpoint, but Palmetto typically has Marshall playing off the line and not in press-man. He does show good awareness and operates fairly well in short areas of space, so much of those improvements will be made through drills and repetition in Gainesville.
Projections always play a significant role in recruiting, but Marshall is one of the more seasoned sure-things in this year's DB class. He boasts impressive size, length and ball skills, and excels as a bigger cornerback in man coverage.
This is a cornerback who defensive coordinators covet in today's day-and-age of college football, and he is headed to Gainesville to strap up the pads for Dan Mullen and the Florida Gators.
Stay tuned to GatorsTerritory.