Scouting Report: Gators CB Target Jason Marshall Jr. Wins With Physicality

A scouting report that dives into what makes Miami Palmetto cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. such an intriguing prospect in the 2021 recruiting class.

When you look at Miami Palmetto (Fla.) cornerback Jason Marshall Jr., you might think he's a junior in college - not a junior in high school.

The 6-2, 180 lb. 2021 prospect is one of the highest-rated cornerbacks in the land, and his size is a good reason why. Marshall pairs his height with great arm length and physicality on tape that would have press-heavy cornerback coaches drooling at first glance. 

Considered the No. 3 cornerback and No. 32 overall prospect in his class by the 247Sports Composite Rankings, Marshall is a priority target for the Florida Gators. Florida has added three or more cornerbacks in their previous to recruiting hauls, but will continually look to add talent to the room.

Marshall has a chance to headline the cornerback position for Florida should he end up a Gator. Given his imposing frame and the physicality and swagger that he carries with it, it's easy to understand what makes Marshall a coveted defensive back in the '21 class.

Let's take a look at what makes him such a high-caliber prospect.

Film Room

At the top of the screen in off-man coverage, Marshall allows enough of a cushion to let the receiver dictate the timing of his release. As soon as the receiver jabs and dedicates himself to the fade route, Marshall lands a punch to the chest and combats the receiver's hands with several swipes to maintain leverage on top of the route.

The strength within Marshall's press prevents the receiver from pushing vertical to the ball, which can consistently be seen in Marshall's game. The receiver has no chance at getting underneath this pass, and Marshall gets off lets second to play the ball and tally a pass breakup.

Marshall lines up face-to-face against a receiver that towers over him, which is likely to be the case at the next level as Marshall is a tall cornerback himself. But size differential is no matter to Marshall within his press.

Remaining patient with his feet, the receiver only takes one step before jabbing and working outside, which allows Marshall to begin disrupting the route immediately. Marshall finishes the play similarly to the rep above by slowing the receiver down and preventing him from gaining the depth necessary to play this ball. Even with his size and length, the receiver simply can't get himself in a position to bring this ball in.

Playing deep thirds, Marshall is responsible for anything that goes deep on the left side of the field. The receiver attempts a double move by jabbing inside and working back out, but Marshall maintains a deep enough cushion that he isn't forced to follow the inside move. Rather, he sticks on top of the route to keep the receiver and the quarterback in his line of sight.

When the receiver jabs and works back out, Marshall isn't startled or caught out of position. He flips his hips when the receiver dedicates to the vertical route and boxes the receiver out of the catch point, once again breaking up the pass. An excellent deep zone coverage rep.

Palmetto utilizes Marshall's size and athleticism as a deep-threat wide receiver on occasion, which led to 135 yards across only four receptions in 2019. Plays like the one above illustrate what makes him a valuable receiving threat within that offense, but more importantly, this skill translates to defensive back as well.

Marshall was not often tested deep at cornerback, so highlight grabs like the one above aren't common within his film. But the timing of his jump and perfectly-timed extension allows Marshall to catch this pass at its highest point over the cornerback. When he is tested deep and given the opportunity to make plays like this on defense, chances are he will make it happen.

Just by looking at Marshall's frame, it's easy to assume he's strong. And that strength translates on tape.

While Marshall doesn't deliver a jarring tackle here despite an opportunity to do so, he remains patient while teammates attempt a tackle. The pass-catcher slips through the contact, and Marshall follows up by initiating contact and simply taking the ball from the receiver. This isn't easy, as the receiver has two arms covering the ball in order to prevent a strip - but Marshall outmuscles him and takes it anyway before returning the fumble for six points.

Here, we see Marshall's physicality applied in run support. Diagnosing the run, Marshall is quick to get out of his backpedal and work down towards the line of scrimmage, but is patient in establishing an edge near the boundary to either force the running back inside or to take him head-on. When that edge is established and the running back decides to charge forward, Marshall lowers his shoulder and delivers a booming hit.

What Marshall does well

• Hands: Marshall has continued to polish his swipe through hands while jamming receivers on fade routes, as seen above. That skill will translate perfectly to more press responsibilities at the next level against stronger receivers, though his South Florida competition level is certainly high.
• Press: Love his tenacity here. Marshall keeps his feet underneath him rather than false stepping in reaction to the receiver's release off of the line, similar to his discipline on top of routes in zone. When the receiver dedicates to getting vertical, Marshall is quick to punch and keep his hands low and inside to prevent pass interference. His swipes are clean and consistent.
• Keeping on top of routes: Marshall understands route combinations in zone coverage, which could be seen especially in Cover 3 deployments where Marshall owns a deep third of the field. He's not the type to bite on double moves, or break on shallow routes with a No. 2 WR pushing into his zone. Rather, Marshall's breaking speed comes in handy when the ball is out of the quarterback's hand, allowing him to play the ball with the play in front of him.
• Playing the ball: Noted above, Marshall is disciplined in his timing when playing the ball, which keeps him from over or under pursuing. When it comes to attacking the ball, Marshall possesses elite body control to pair with his length to attack the ball in the air at its highest point, a key factor in why Palmetto plays him at wide receiver as well. 
• Willingness to tackle: While Marshall isn't a perfect tackler, he angles well to establish an edge and force the ball carrier inside. From there, Marshall is powerful when lowering his shoulder and delivering a blow. He could stand to improve following through the tackle, but that's a coachable issue and everything you want to see is there.

What we need to see more of

• Long speed: Marshall is a solid athlete, seen by his ability to keep hip-to-hip with receivers at the boundary. Though, his physicality helps slow receivers through their routes and there aren't many clips included on HUDL where Marshall has to match burning speed. I'm interested to see what he posts in the 40-yard dash as well as more reps against speed.
• Continued footwork improvement: As a sophomore, Marshall had some issues with a wide base which led to T-stepping through breaks, and sometimes a slower reaction before shooting down in run support or to attack underneath routes. That skill improved across Marshall's junior tape, and can get even better. 
• Hip fluidity: Solid, but not special. He gets the job done against isolated receivers by pairing his flip with hand usage to slow the route while the receiver continues to gain depth, but what about faster outside and slot receivers running route combos? Are his hips fluid enough to flip and accelerate when his cushion is eliminated by more agile competition? If not, Marshall might be best kept on one side of the field rather than shadowing a team's No. 1 WR. 

Conclusion

You would be hard-pressed (I'll pat myself on the back for wordplay) to find a cornerback with the confidence and technique to press and jam as well as Marshall does in the redzone, based on his HUDL film. 

There aren't many instances of Marshall pressing outside of the redzone on his tape - perhaps he has done it and it isn't included on HUDL, otherwise it simply isn't called enough. As seen by how Marshall handles receivers within the redzone, specifically ones that tower over him, he shouldn't have an issue with press between the 20s.

With great size, length, and zone discipline to pair with his press polish, Marshall is a high-floor cornerback prospect that has the talent to play year one, wherever he goes. There are still aspects of his game that he can continue to improve upon, but there's a reason Marshall is considered a five-star cornerback.

Which is why Florida is persistent in their push to get Marshall into orange and blue gear come National Signing Day.