(12-15-2016 10:22 PM)jmufan2008 Wrote: Wow. This sounds like a HUGE get for JMU.
It is. I recall LOL reading the other JMU board when Vad Lee announced he was coming to JMU and some Dukes fans said he will struggle to beat out Birdsong. I had seen them both many times. I knew Withers favored Vad as he recruited him in HS when at UNCheat.
Marshall is very good. He has top end speed. When he's in the open field with daylight, I've yet to see anybody catch him. He's done it at a high level against solid competition. Unfortunately for him, GT's offensive line during his freshman season in 2015 was...well...offensive. Terrible. Much better this year. Even with terrible O-Line play to Paul Johnson's standards in '15, Marshall performed well. He can catch the ball and go as well.
In JMU's offense with 1) superior O-Line play as we've seen all year (and last few years for that matter); 2) a terrific scheme that is RB-friendly; and 3) P5-level size, speed and vision...he can have the same kind of impact as Vad did though at a different position. The only negative in his game was he tended to put the ball on the ground too often. Though, he wasn't as bad this 2nd season and he altered the way he held the ball to improve on not giving it up.
He is not a bruiser like many of Paul Johnson's B-Backs are running between the tackles. Instead, GT liked getting him out to the sides whenever they could. Still, as a B-Back in Johnson's offense, he was required to run the dive at times 25+ times a game whether he got the ball or not. He did break some up the middle. He's very difficult to get down. First you have to catch him which is a challenge.
We indeed got a very good RB. And, he's a really good kid. Very intelligent.