| 24 May 2011
I know Jalin Marshall is talking the talk about playing where a team wants him to play but the decision to drill as a quarterback at the Combine says he wants to be a quarterback. His numbers speak volumes. He was 55 of
112 passing, not alot of throws, 49.1 percent, which is not a great percentage. 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions is a nice ratio but 7 interceptions on 112 throws and 55 completions is not great. As a runner he had 1,426 yards and 17 touchdowns on 173 carries, better than 8 yards a carry. Talk about speaking volumes. The most important number is the more runs than passes. That says run first quarterback. Multiple reports have him not looking like a college quarterback at the combine. On film I saw a player who had some skills. Those skills will not translate well in a combine setting where quarterbacks are rated on being a pocket passer. When I first saw film of him I noted that he was only a quarterback in some offenses. This was further enforced in his combine performance. Marshall is the best receiver in the state regardless of class. He is still my number one player in the class if I list him as an athlete. He is showing he wants to be a quarterback. Until that changes I will have to rank him based on his position. If he plays football this fall at quarterback it will further impact my rankings. We talk about reps all the time. Reps equals experience. If he had a better combine it would be different. This was his first time showing his wares purely as a quarterback and it did not go well. He would be wise to take that experience and learn from it. His future is at wide receiver. He might be a very good quarterback in some offenses but he can be a superstar at receiver. The sooner he gets to repping at receiver the better for this truly gifted football player. It is in the best interest of his teammate Geovanni McKnight too.
Cameron Burrows lit up the combine. If there was one player whose name was on everyones lips it was Burrows. I walked right up to comparing him to Eugene Clifford when I first started talking about him. The comparison is now valid. 6-2 corners are rare commodities. The Buckeyes wasted no time in offering Burrows. The smart money is on the Buckeyes landing Burrows.
The Buckeyes also got out in front and offered outstanding 2013 lineman Billy Price. He is not ready to make a decision either but the buzz is the Buckeyes are in good shape. Great decision to offer the best lineman in the class this early.
There is some question about whether Dwayne Stanford has an offer from Ohio State. I would offer him anyway. I think he is a big receiver. I was not looking for a 4.4 out of him. I was a bit surprised at 4.81 but that is 4.61 hand timed. That is an acceptable time for a big receiver. I think his game speed is better than his t-shirt and shorts time but I understand some may be more concerned than I am. I think speed is all about separation. Big receivers like Stanford create separation with their size, athleticism and leaping ability. We have quite a nice history with these bigger receivers who lack top end speed, David Boston, Michael Jenkins and Brian Robiskie are the ones that come to mind off the top of my head. That is two first rounders and a second rounder. None were going to make anyone do a double take on their stopwatch when they ran the forty.
You may recall I was high on Marion-Franklin defensive lineman Terrell Jackson when I first started talking about the 2012 class. I have just had the opportunity to see his junior film. He is definitely back on my radar. He has a burst that compares to any lineman in the class and a non-stop motor. He finds the ball very well. He is a fine athlete for his size. That will be the question this athlete season. Is he big enough to project to a three-technique? Is he quick enough and athletic enough to be an end? Based on the film I just saw Terrell Jackson would be on the recent list I did of players who I see making the biggest moves this summer.
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