Florida Gators 2021 CB Jason Marshall's SI All-American Scouting Report
The headline prospect of Florida's 2021 recruiting class to date, Jason Marshall Jr. of Palmetto High School (Miami, Fla.) presents a ready-to-play boundary cornerback who fits Florida's coverage scheme like a glove.
Standing at 6-2, 180 lbs. with great length and a muscular upper-body, Marshall is an ideal man coverage cornerback, both bumping-and-running and in off-man, who wins with physicality and utilizes his length to play the ball in the air. Marshall is a technician with his hands who times his punches well in press and swiping through the receiver's arms to maintain leverage at the top of his cushion in off-man.
The same physicality can be seen in Marshall's run support, where he packs a punch coming downhill from an outside angle to contain the run. His form should continue to improve at the college level along with his play strength when tackling, but willingness is evident.
Recording five interceptions and 15 defended passes as a junior, Marshall displayed a knack for closing quickly on the passes thrown ahead of him along with contesting the boundary. He should find the field for the Gators early in his career and should have little issue with Cover 2 and man coverage concepts.
RELATED: Gators land commitment from elite 2021 cornerback Jason Marshall Jr.
Below, you can find Marshall's scouting report from Sports Illustrated All-American, as he was named to the SIAA Top 1000 last month. The inaugural, 25-man Sports Illustrated All-American team of the top prospects in the class of 2021 will be unveiled in December.
Prospect: Jason Marshall
Position: Cornerback
Status: SI All-American Candidate
Vitals: 6-foot-2, 180 pounds
School: Miami (Fla.) Palmetto
Committed to: Florida
Frame: Great height and length for the secondary. Defined muscle in the upper half with strong base. Room for additional mass throughout.
Athleticism: Two-way prospect in high school with success as a wide receiver, particularly on deep routes. Flashes speed in the open field without much time between initial move and top speed. Excellent leaper with ball concentration skill down the field and/or along the sideline. Adequate quickness.
Instincts: Smooth operator with the football in the air, able to high point and make plays after forcing a turnover with speed, vision and elusiveness. Does so on offense and as a return man on special teams. Willing run supporter with some pop upon contact. Natural playmaker regardless of alignment or assignment.
Polish: Extremely fluid out of his stance as well as in and out of breaks. Strong awareness in man or zone coverage with the wherewithal to come off of assignment to make a play on the football. Willing to meet wideout at the line of scrimmage with success in press or with leverage as a bail defender. Patient one-hand jammer with an understanding of positioning and physicality.
Bottom Line: Marshall is the class of the cornerback position in the 2021 recruiting cycle with about all the tools one could ask for. He’s big, fluid, physical and attacks the football with success while it’s in flight. With well advanced coverage technique, he can stand to improve intricacies like back pedal rate and develop into the type of cover man who is responsible for an entire side of the field. He won’t sit very long, if at all, once he gets to a big-time college program.