Jalin Marshall spent the majority of his high school career under center running a triple-option offense in Southwest Ohio. Before arriving at Ohio State in the fall of 2013, he hadn’t caught many passes in his day.
He had offers from Cincinnati and Tennessee to play quarterback at the collegiate level, but ultimately decided a position change would be best for him. For the Buckeyes, he’s a do-it-all guy: a punt returner, a wide receiver and an H-back.
“I was looking at the bigger picture,” Marshall said this past season. “It’s a great university, if I get a good degree and if I were able to move on to the NFL, I feel like The Ohio State University can put me in that position.”
Marshall redshirted as a true freshman in 2013, but during last year’s national championship run he was a key cog in Ohio State’s record-setting offense. Last season, Marshall had 38 catches for 499 yards and six touchdowns. He also carried the ball 25 times for 154 yards and a score, while averaging 11.8 yards per punt return for the Buckeyes.
Watch Marshall on the field and it seems like the transition away from quarterback has been easy. It looks as if he’s been playing the wide receiver/H-back role his entire life, though that clearly hasn’t been the case.
Does it feel like that for Marshall, though? Does he feel like he’s been a wide receiver for as long as he’s been playing football?
“Maybe not my whole life, but I’m letting it go a little bit, letting quarterback go a little bit,” Marshall said this spring. “It’s easier that I’ve gotten so many reps at receiver and it’s made me have more confidence and forget about the past.”
This past spring, Marshall moved out of his familiar H-back role to take reps at outside receiver. Ohio State wide receivers coach Zach Smith said the move was to get Marshall some more work against press coverage with hopes of making him a more well-rounded receiver that can do more than just play in the slot.
If the Buckeyes’ coaches are confident enough in his ability to play outside, it just adds another dimension to the offense.
“Yeah I think with game plan, I’ll be able to move anywhere on the field,” Marshall said. “If they move me outside for matchup purposes, if they put me outside, if I have to play inside I can. I don’t think it’s a position yet, but it’s working toward being a better all-around player.”
It was another transition for Marshall, though this one may not be as permanent as his previous one. Odds are, he’ll rotate between H-back and wide receiver plenty this upcoming season.
It’s still a change, though. Not that he’s not used to switching positions by now.
“The first couple practices (at receiver) was rough,” Marshall said. “But with coaching and technique, I’ve gotten better and you’ve seen it throughout the spring.”
