HARRISONBURG — There were flashes during his time at James Madison when Marcus Marshall undoubtedly appeared NFL bound.
Just ask South Dakota State about that third quarter of the 2017 FCS national semifinal.
The Jackrabbits couldn’t touch Marshall as his explosions of 87 yards and 65 yards through the line of scrimmage, past the defense and into the end zone were simply exercises of acceleration for the running back. His 203-yard, two-touchdown performance in the playoff contest catapulted the Dukes onto the national championship.
“I feel like I’m on the map,” Marshall said. “Obviously, I’m not a super high prospect or anything, but I think right now I’m projected in the late rounds or as a free agent, so I’m working to improve that with my performance at pro day.”
JMU will hold its pro day for NFL scouts on March 26 at Bridgeforth Stadium.
There were other moments Marshall looked the part of a pro, too, like his 39-yard catch-and-run on a touch pass for a score against Robert Morris or the 70-yard touchdown run at East Carolina. But a guaranteed chance for him at the next level would’ve only been possible with more consistent college numbers.
Marshall rushed for 850 yards and 11 touchdowns as a junior and 446 yards and six scores this past fall.
He spent the early part of his junior season at JMU learning the Dukes offense after transferring from Georgia Tech. Then, he missed three games as a senior while dealing with an undisclosed injury in November, and when he did play, he split carries with two other senior backs.
“I have no control, at this point, over the statistics or anything like that,” Marshall said. “The film has already happened, so I’m focused on what I can be focused on going forward to put myself in the best position.”
In early January, Marshall started training for his pro day at Bommarito Performance Systems in Davie, Fla.
Since, he’s trained there six days a week.
“The 40, the shuttle, the bench press, the vertical jump,” Marshall said. “Then it’s also prepping for the interview process with the different scouts and coaches understanding football. We take a lot of practice Wonderlic tests, so I’m getting that down and then I’m getting my body in shape as far as nutrition, and it’s just the whole picture.”
Marshall said he believes the speed of his 40-yard dash is most important, but that he feels prepared for the whole event next month.
“Running a good 40 time,” Marshall said. “That’s something that is very important in the eyes of these scouts, and I think that’s one of my biggest skills is just that speed. So I’m looking forward to performing well in that regard. But also the bench press is something I think I’m going to do well in, and on the field with the football in my hands is something I think comes second nature after all these years of playing.”
He said he’d make the most of any opportunity a team would give him whether it’s as a late-round pick or an undrafted free agent.
Marshall’s brother, Keith Marshall, was a seventh-round pick of the Washington Redskins in the 2016 NFL Draft.
“I think I bring a pretty good skill set to the table with speed and versatility,” Marshall said. “I can catch the ball well. I’m getting better at blocking and I improved at that throughout my college career, so that’s something I’ve gotten better at. I have good vision as a running back. I’ve been told I have a good burst, so I think those are the things as a running back that can help.
“But as a teammate, I’m always going to do what’s best for the team. I’m a coachable guy, so I’m low maintenance. I’m not a guy that they’ll have to worry about with off the field issues, so I think I’m a guy that’ll go in, work hard and do what’s best for the team.”
Marshall is likely also entering the next phase of his career fresher than most of his peers because he understood the importance of sharing touches with his teammates as reps were divvied between him and fellow JMU running backs Cardon Johnson and Trai Sharp.
“Football is a brutal sport and it takes a toll on your body,” Marshall said. “So I think it definitely helped us out as running backs because running back is one of the most physical positions because you’re blocking and getting hit a lot throughout the course of a game.”
Marshall said another benefit from his time at JMU aiding his stock now is the Dukes highlighted his top attributes in their spread offense.
One of the reasons Marshall departed from Georgia Tech was to get away from the triple option.
“It was the best for me,” Marshall said. “And just getting in the offense, it was something where JMU maybe more tailored toward my skill set, but it was definitely a good move and I got a chance to showcase a lot of what I wanted to, which was a little bit of the speed and vision, which I didn’t have a chance to showcase as much at Georgia Tech.”
Marshall said he wouldn’t have traded his two years at JMU for anything.
“I’m fortunate just to have gotten the opportunity to transfer there,” Marshall said, “and get a chance to be part of a great program and play with great coaches and great teammates by my side.
“I really enjoyed my time at JMU, and on the football field I built relationships and bonds that will definitely last forever, so I’m really fortunate.”
