MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Morgantown offensive and defensive lineman Marcellus Marshall can easily imagine himself playing football in Philadelphia — according to him, the city has a different environment surrounding the sport.
“It’s an atmosphere, you can tell football is a big thing. It makes you feel like you’re welcome because you play the sport,” he said. “In Morgantown, we have WVU and it brings attention, but having a professional team and all the colleges they have, it’s crazy.”
Marshall has made the trip to the City of Brotherly Love twice — once to attend a camp held by Temple and another for a campus visit to Villanova. The Wildcats are one of 10 Division I programs to offer the MHS senior a scholarship so far. His first came from in-state Marshall.
Since then, he has hit double-digits, racking up other offers from Bowling Green, Kent State, Fordham, Virginia Military Institute, Robert Morris, Eastern Kentucky, Central Michigan and, most recently, Youngstown State. With all this early activity on the recruitment trail, the process has already been quite an adventure for Marshall.
“Being able to build relationships with people who recognize what I can do has been great,” he said. “The process has just been crazy. Having conversations with these coaches gets you excited. You usually know what’s coming next. Going to camps has also been a big thing. I got offers from three schools just from one camp. Being able to perform under pressure and showing what you can do is a big part of getting this far.”
MHS coach Matt Lacy said Marshall earned the attention from a combination of his size and skill — his massive 6-foot-6, 300-plus pound frame and his ability to gain leverage against opposing players gives him potential to succeed at the next level.
“First and foremost, his size is something you can’t coach,” Lacy said. “That will draw them in, then they see what kind of ballplayer he is. He can move people out of the way real well, and when you have someone his size that can do that, it’s an asset.”
Lacy said Marshall adds the type of attitude and personality to the program that generates excitement in the locker room and has the potential to foster success.
“He’s a quality kid — he’s a leader that rallies the troops and leads by example,” Lace said. “He does everything we ask and is at every function we put on. He responds well to coaching.”
While Marshall is waiting to see what kind of attention he garners during his senior season before narrowing his list of schools and attempting to make a decision, he has a clear idea of what he’s searching for in a program.
“Playing time is obviously a big thing for most people,” he said. “No one wants to go sit the bench for four years. But the atmosphere is a big thing for me. I want to be able to fit in and make a difference wherever I go.”
Wherever Marshall eventually ends up, Lacy is glad to have a talent and leader like Marshall on the team, and added that his recruitment is advantageous for the program as a whole.
“It brings positive attention to us, and it even helps other kids get recruited. Those college coaches start coming to watch you on Friday night and they see you have other great kids. It’s a big thing for the program overall,” he said.
While he waits to see how things play out in the long term, Marshall said he’s primarily thankful to have the opportunity to put his talents on display and to be able to pursue his passion after high school.
“I’m truly blessed to have this opportunity and to have people recognize the gifts I’ve been given and that I could make a difference on their team. It’s good to know I’ll likely have the chance to play at the next level,” he said.
