Middletown's Jalin Marshall
Urban Meyer just doesn’t stop landing recruits. This is a period of recruiting unlike anything else I’ve ever seen before. It feels like hardly a week goes by without Meyer bringing in yet another 4 or 5 star recruit. National Signing Day for 2012 is coming up tomorrow, but that’s not stopping Meyer from already securing playmakers for 2013.
First it was Cam Burrow committing last week, now Middletown freak athlete Jalin Marshall has decided to become the 2nd member of the 2013 class and the first 5-star recruit for that class. Marshall, the top recruit in the state of Ohio for 2013 may not have been a surprise, as his long time desire to be a Buckeye was a poorly kept secret, but never the less, this is a huge get for Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes.
Scout.com’s Bill Greene has the story:
These days in college football the commitment of a five-star athlete can mean press conferences, live television appearances, and just about every conceivable type of hype and self-promotion known to man.
Not so for Middletown star quarterback Jalin Marshall, as the top-rated player in Ohio for the class of 2013 used his commitment to Ohio State as a method of honoring a loved one.
“I have committed to Ohio State,” Marshall announced Monday evening. “I’ve known for a while I was going to be a Buckeye, but I waited until now because it’s my dad’s birthday, and I wanted to honor him with my commitment. I didn’t want to do anything fancy, and I just want to spend time with my family, because this is just as much about them as it is about me.”
“My family means everything to me, and my dad is so important to me,” he added. “My dad has always been there for me, and he has impacted my life in such a positive way, that I wanted to pay him back for all he means to me. I owe the fact that I’m headed to play college football to my dad, and everything he’s done for me.”
Marshall, who plays QB at Middletown, has the ability to play QB, WR, RB, special teams, you name it. The kid is a special breed of athlete with an uncanny ability to weave his way through traffic and find open spots in the field to pick up huge chunks of yardage. Those who are paying members of Scout.com can watch his amazing junior season highlights here.
Marshall may not have the breakaway speed that Ted Ginn had (then again, few do), but in terms of excitement and big play potential, Marshall is the most exciting OSU recruit since Ginn. Urban Meyer hasn’t told Marshall what position he will play at OSU yet. Meyer has told Marshall he will evaluate his throwing more before deciding whether to make him a QB.
With Braxton Miller and Cardale Jones still on the roster for a few more years, combined with the fact that OSU is recruiting Archbishop Alter’s Malik Zaire still, I don’t see Marshall playing QB at OSU. Instead, I see him playing a Percy Harvin type role in Urban Meyer’s offense, where he will catch passes from the slot and be an integral part of the running game through read option and misdirection type plays.
Whatever position he plays, one has to imagine it will be awfully tough for Meyer to keep Marshall off the field in some capacity. Recruiting is always an inexact science. There are always prospects who don’t quite live up to their potential. But there are also certain recruits who feel like sure things. Jalin Marshall is one of those players. His performance on the football field is electric in a way that makes it impossible to not keep your eyes on him.
