While the Gators were able to muster an offensive output to rival anyone in the college game last season, their defensive squad was reprehensibly terrible and a large part of that blame falls on the defensive secondary. Florida’s fortunes have a good chance to rebound next season, though. In a recent article, 247Sports’ Chris Hummer pegged cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. as the team’s breakout freshman.
Marshall Jr. is hardly a surprising choice for Hummer’s list. As the second-rated cornerback in the 2021 recruiting class, the five-star Miami native leads the Gators’ latest crop of incoming freshmen. Additionally, he should have the opportunity to get plenty of reps as Florida’s best cornerback, Marco Wilson, departs for the NFL and defensive coordinator Todd Grantham overhauls his defense.
(function (d, s, n) {
var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];
js = d.createElement(s);
js.className = n;
js.src = “//player.ex.co/player/e5869bc6-faf6-4b7a-8c06-b5610c96a8fe”;
fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);
}(document, ‘script’, ‘exco-player’));
Florida was able to beat out some of the most marketable brands in college football to bring Marshall, Jr. into the pack. He had offers from over two dozen schools, including the then-reining champion Clemson Tigers, last year’s champs in the Alabama Crimson Tide, as well as his hometown Miami ‘Canes.
As an early enrollee, Marshall, Jr. was able to participate with the team through spring practice and left a strong impression on his new running mates. In fact, safety Trey Dean III singled him out when questioned on which of the freshman were most impressive during the team’s spring reps.
In their most recent evaluation from only a few months ago, 247Sports was highly complimentary of Marshall Jr.’s abilities in the passing game. “Smooth backpedal allows him to stay balanced in reverse. Often times looking to jam a wide receiver and disrupt timing, [he] does a nice job of mirroring routes downs the field,” wrote Andrew Ivins, the southeast recruiting analyst.
The Gators’ defense has nowhere to go but up. Marshall Jr. will have a lot to do with that resurgence, and as their offense is gutted by pro teams looking to restock their own shelves, it will certainly be a welcome development.
[lawrence-related id=41072,41045,40978,40943,40877]
[listicle id=34902]
[listicle id=34865]
[listicle id=33425]
