Marcellus Marshall: The Gophers' key to revamping the O-line in 2025

The Gophers' offensive line underwent a significant shakeup this offseason. Aireontae Ersery and Tyler Cooper have moved on to the NFL, while Phillip Daniels transferred to Ohio State. Minnesota responded by bringing in three replacements from the transfer portal, with UCF's Marcellus Marshall standing out as a potential x-factor.

Hailing from Morgantown, West Virginia, Marshall was relatively unknown as a high school recruit in the class of 2020. According to 247Sports' composite rankings, he was the 2,488th-ranked player in the country. Despite holding 10 Division I offers, only four were from FBS programs, and he ultimately chose Kent State.

Marshall saw limited action in his first two seasons with the Golden Flashes, logging just 54 total snaps combined. However, he broke out as a redshirt sophomore in 2022, playing 866 snaps at left tackle and earning a 60.6 overall grade from Pro Football Focus (PFF). Impressively, he allowed just one sack across 426 pass-blocking snaps that season.

After the 2022 season, Marshall entered the transfer portal. Although the Gophers showed interest, he chose to join UCF. In 2023, he demonstrated his versatility by playing over 200 snaps at left guard, right guard, and right tackle, earning a career-high 63.1 PFF grade. Last season, he played more than 90% of his snaps at right guard but also started one game at center.

Heading into the 2025 season with the Gophers, Marshall is the most experienced offensive lineman on the roster by a considerable margin, with nearly 2,500 career snaps. The next closest is Greg Johnson, who returns for his true junior season with just over 1,200 career snaps. 247Sports ranks Marshall as the 12th-best interior offensive lineman in the transfer portal, while On3 ranks him lower at No. 35.

The question now is, where will Marshall fit into the Gophers' offensive line in 2025? Ashton Beers and Kentucky transfer Dylan Ray have primarily played guard, so Minnesota may benefit from utilizing Marshall's 6-foot-5, 310-pound frame and moving him back to tackle.

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Washington transfer Kahlee Tafai has more recent experience at left tackle, boasts greater upside, and has two years of eligibility remaining. This makes him a logical choice to start the season protecting the blindside. That would leave the right tackle position for Marshall in 2025.

A right tackle might not make or break a team's season, but Minnesota will need a veteran leader to step up on its offensive line. While Johnson is the team's most experienced returning lineman, Marshall will need to not only perform at a high level but also lead by example, showing his new teammates what it takes to be effective offensive linemen at the collegiate level.