UGA's Keith Marshall is still as talented as any back in the country
You guys already know the story.
In 2012, the University of Georgia signed a highly touted back from North Carolina whom most believed would eventually take the torch recently left behind by his talented predecessors: Kregg Lumpkin, Danny Ware, Thomas Brown and Knowshon Moreno.
As the future of the Dawgs, and star recruit of former UGA player-turned-coach Bryan McClendon, this 5-star recruit would team up with the reigning Southeastern Conference newcomer of the year, Isaiah Crowell, to form the most potent duo ever seen Between the Hedges.
And to top it off, he was bringing along his sidekick — another running back from North Carolina — who would add quality depth for a few years. And after Crowell was dismissed from the program, many assumed this back would step right in where Crowell left off and lead Georgia back to Atlanta for a shot at the SEC crown.
Well, the Dawgs did end up making the SEC Championship Game in his freshman season, and that back did end up being pretty good. However, he was completely overshadowed by his sidekick — who would go on to become the greatest back in Georgia’s modern era before a suspension, knee injury and an expected early entry to the NFL draft stopped him from cementing his legacy, perhaps, as the greatest backfield talent in the program’s history. (I know, I know; some guy named Herschel would laugh at that thought.)
By now you’ve probably guessed it; that sidekick happened to turn into Todd Gurley, while that uber 5-star recruit became an afterthought in Keith Marshall.
Now with Gurley gone, Marshall has to contend for playing time with a back who looks like he may have the talent to surpass even what Gurley provided, Nick Chubb, and he also has to contend with a player with a similar skill set who, too, was outshined by his classmate in Sony Michel.
But I have complete confidence Marshall will eventually make his mark…and it may be this season.
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The 5’11”, 220-pound Marshall has had the benefit of playing in a multiplicative offensive scheme that requires backs to be versed in a ton of different concepts: inside- and outside-zone runs, man- and gap-blocking jaunts and various screens.
When he arrived on campus he was billed at 190 pounds, and he has now added over 30 pounds of muscle while still maintaining his legit 4.4 40-yard dash track speed. (Speed that was validated when he won a series of races against ultra-fast teammate Malcolm Mitchell as a freshman). The first time I saw Marshall he instantly reminded me of former University of Arkansas standout Felix Jones as both are home run hitters with a unique one-cut-and-go style.
Marshall is one of the first backs I’ve ever witnessed to run with the type of body lean one might associate with an Olympic sprinter reaching full gait. And while he’s commonly known for his speed, and rightfully so, he’s a ton more physical than one might expect.
He’s a scheme-specific fit for a zone-blocking outfit as he runs with some serious patience at the onset of a play, but he explodes through the crease once he feels it; zone runs are as much about feel as it is vision.
One thing I’ve noticed about Marshall, which is something Jones rarely got credit for, is his ability to virtually always make the first defender miss. Take the above sequence: He got north/south on an inside zone after feeling the organic cut-back crease, which wasn’t completely apparent right away.
Additionally, he broke the tackle of highly touted defensive tackle Ego Ferguson, which allowed him to gain an additional five yards on his way to a first down.
A lot of pundits place total responsibility on the offensive line to create space for backs, but a great back can also create for himself.
New offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, who takes over for long-time whippin’ boy Mike Bobo, will bring with him a ton of power concepts designed at getting a hat on a hat, but this scheme is most effective when a back has the ability to defeat the first opposite color jersey he sees.
Although Marshall has that one-cut-and-go running style, he possesses some serious wiggle and is able to do so at full speed. As a defender, your biggest fear is meeting someone in the open field who doesn’t have to throttle down to make a move.
You also fear guys who can chain moves together and, somewhat, convert speed to power. There’s nothing worse than some back, who is considered a speed guy, running you over when you’re expecting him to make use of his two-way go.
Just look at how Marshall broke the approaching safety’s ankles at full speed on this power play; his change-of-direction skills are unreal.
On this power play, Marshall had the wherewithal to bounce a dive to the C-gap and show off his open-field ability along with his blinding speed and quickness.
One thing that I’d like to eventually highlight in an article is UGA’s ability to navigate a vast screen game. Fans would ride Bobo for many things, and he never truly got the credit for possessing such a dense playbook full of concepts from different schemes.
Schottenheimer is another student of the game whose playbook is versatile, and he has screen portion that would make Bobo proud. This means that backs have to be adept at pass-protection as defenders will rarely take a back serious who’s an ineffective blocker.
Once that threat of a block is apparent, the screen game opens up; McCLendon did a fantastic job developing all his backs to add value in all facets of football.
For the Bulldogs to truly reach their goal, they will need to lean heavily on the run as they break in a quarterback who’s not only inexperienced with the nuances of Schottenheimer’s scheme, but will also lack experience with true in-game situations. (Unless recent transfer Greyson Lambert receives a shot to start.)
While Chubb is slated to receive the lion’s share of the carries, and rightfully so, it wasn’t too long ago that Marshall was the highest-ranked running back recruit on UGA’s roster. He’s as versatile as it gets and adds value to a plethora of concepts.
But let’s make one thing clear: Marshall’s production mostly hinges on his health.
If healthy, UGA has the most talented backfield in the country that will be supported by a bevy of talented receiving targets. When you take into account the type of talent on the defensive side of the ball, you can plainly see why I’m so high on UGA’s prospects for this season.
Is it game day, yet?
