Terrace

Marshall Jr.

Marshall was a second-round pick of the Panthers back in 2021. The former LSU product caught 19 passes for 139 scoreless yards last season and totaled 28-490-1 in 2022 — his most productive season to date. He’s been gradually phased out over the last two seasons and clearly wasn’t a fit for head coach Dave Canales’ new-look offense. Marshall will have plenty of suitors on the open market as he looks to restart his career elsewhere.

Marshall (6'2/190) attended the medical combine in Indianapolis in late-March but this news is just coming out now. The Tigers’ wideout missed his senior year in high school with a torn ACL and broke his foot in 2019 which required surgery and cost him five games in the lead up to the college football playoff. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler confirmed that he had heard similar reports. These injury concerns appear to have caused him to drop from a potential late-first round selection down to the middle of the second round.

While Ja’Marr Chase was the headliner in Baton Rouge on Wednesday, Marshall (6'3"/200) is no slouch himself. Projected by some analysts to be a Day 2 selection earlier this month, the former LSU wide receiver likely helped his prospects Wednesday morning. After clocking in at 4.38 seconds in the 40 Marshall decided to let that time stand and not run again, which is certainly understandable. The combination of his size and speed could push Marshall into the back end of Round 1, especially when considering that many of the wideouts at the head of the class are smaller in stature.

With Ja’Marr Chase opting out of the 2020 season, Marshall (6'3/200) ascended into the WR1 role for the Tigers this past fall. In spite of the inconsistency of LSU’s quarterbacks, Marshall finished the season with a 48-731-10 receiving stat line. While Cummings believes that the LSU pass-catcher will ultimately be a Day 2 selection, he also has concerns after Marshall’s production slipped during the latter portion of the season. “But Marshall’s slight decline before his final game obstructed the upward trajectory, and by the end of the year, Marshall Jr. left questions unanswered, among them: Can he play to his 6-foot-3 size consistently? Can he contribute as a run blocker?” Cummings wrote. Marshall’s performance at LSU’s pro day, which will be held March 31, will go a long way towards determining his draft potential.

It’s not entirely clear yet if this means Marshall is declaring for the NFL Draft. Seeing as Marshall is an easy bet to go top-100, it more than likely means he will declare, but we will have to wait for official word on that front. What is known to this point is that Marshall is out of the LSU program and won’t be playing in 2020 anymore. The Tigers still have Alabama and Florida on the schedule, but Marshall will not be with them for those games. Marshall finishes with 48 receptions for 731 yards and 10 scores, all of which led the team (by a lot) this season.

Marshall’s touchdown meant nothing to the outcome of the game. It came with LSU trailing 20-0 and with just 38 seconds in the contest. Still counts. Marshall was the only effective offensive player for the Tigers, and he could have had an all-timer type of day if LSU had anyone who could get him the football. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound wideout has put up a 38-597-9 line thus far, and he should be able to add to that despite a tough matchup against Alabama next Saturday.

Marshall Jr. scored both of his touchdowns in the second quarter from freshman quarterback T.J Finley, with Finley finding him for a seven-yard score and then a 51-yard connection near the end of the half. The wideout has scored at least two touchdowns in every game this season -- three in the previous game against Missouri -- and unsurprisingly, the 6-foot-3, 200-pound receiver has been one of the best at his position in 2020. Marshall Jr. shouldn’t have any trouble against Auburn next Saturday.

“Limited” is better than “out,” but there is still some grounds for concern seeing as Marshall is one of LSU’s best receivers. Orgeron added that Marshall (6'3/200) played through a “nagging injury” during the Missouri game last weekend. Granted, he still caught 11 passes for over 200 yards, so maybe his 80% is just that much better than most other receivers’ 100%. And to that point, perhaps Marshall’s slow practice week is merely a precaution. The Tigers do not have a game this weekend and will not take the field again until Oct. 24 against South Carolina, so Marshall should be all good to go by then. Marshall has 21 catches for 424 yards and a whopping seven touchdowns this season.

Marshall (6'3/200) was a human highlight reel, catching a pair of first-half gold-zone touchdowns of two and six yards before taking the top off of Missouri’s defense with a 75-yard bomb for his third TD. He paced the Tigers receiving corps with 15 targets as Marshall recorded the highest receiving yardage total of his career. The former five-star recruit has stepped up admirably as LSU’s WR1 following the departure of Ja’Marr Chase for the NFL Draft and will look ahead to next Saturday’s matchup against Florida.

Two catches, two touchdowns. What more can you ask for from the junior WR? With the Tigers needing some extra help in Justin Jefferson’s absence, Marshall (6'3/200) has been every bit the receiver LSU was hoping he could be. Marshall’s 51-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown in this game was outstanding. LSU will be hoping for another one of those plays against Missouri next week.