Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Marshall Law: Jalin's impact at OSU
By Brad Bournival
He’s a quarterback by high school trade.
A do-it-all type player who was a can’t-miss ESPN 150 athlete from Ohio State’s 2013 recruiting class. Now, he’s a top-five wide receiver and one many believe will be the freshman that makes an immediate impact for the Buckeyes.
He’s Jalin Marshall (Middletown, Ohio/Middletown) and he’s the name fans might hear before anyone else.
While Mike Mitchell (Plano, Texas/Prestonwood Christian), Trey Johnson (Lawrenceville, Ga./Central Gwinnett) or Joey Bosa (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas) have as good a chance as any to transition fast, Marshall makes the most sense.
Mitchell is a natural middle linebacker, Johnson shows on the outside at the same position, Bosa is great in the defensive trenches and depth is a factor everywhere.
But Marshall has the dynamic to do it all in a -- yes, we’re going there -- Percy Harvin type role.
As a quarterback this season, Marshall rushed for 1,421 yards, passed for 765 yards and scored 25 total touchdowns -- an average of 218.6 yards and 2.5 scores per game on a team that went 4-6 where he was the focal point of every defense.
He officially made the switch to slot receiver for the Under Armour All-America Game on Jan. 4.
Marshall ended the game with three catches for 56 yards, including a 44-yard reception against the best of the best.
His change-of-direction will translate well at the next level as will the 5-foot-11, 196-pound Marshall’s ability to absorb a hit and gain yardage.
The depth chart favors Marshall as well with only Philly Brown and Chris Fields coming back as seniors. With a young unit ready to take the next step in Urban Meyer’s spread offense, Marshall could be a natural fit almost instantly.
