Florida’s top recruit of 2021, cornerback Jason Marshall Jr., has a chance to start as a true freshman with Jaydon Hill going down for the year.
Marshall was always going to see action as a freshman, but the presumption was that he would be behind Hill and preseason All-American Kaiir Elam. Instead, he’s fighting for a spot to lineup across from Elam on opening day and become the fifth true freshman to start at cornerback in Gators history.
Avery Helm, Elijah Blades, Ethan Pouncey and Jaddarius Perkins look to be Marshall’s main competition for the spot. Gators coach Dan Mullen said that the competitive spirit is ramping up in training camp with the starting spot up for grabs.
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Marshall is every coach’s dream from a teaching standpoint. He listens, observes and doesn’t talk back. Gators secondary coach Wesley McGriff raved about the five-star freshman.
“He’s eager to learn. He’s very, very coachable,” McGriff said, according to Gatorsports. “He’s one of those young men where if myself or Coach Jules tell him something, he’s going to go out and try to execute it. So you better tell him right because he’s going to go out and try to do everything that you ask him to do.”
The other aspect of Marshall’s game that stands out is his ability to move on to the next play after any outcome. Corners get beat from time to time, and the best don’t give up after a bad play.
“He has a tremendous demeanor. His body language is phenomenal,” McGriff said. “I mean, he can get an interception or can come up short on the play, and his demeanor doesn’t change at all. He’s truly the epitome of going to play the next play.
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