Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
‘He just makes me smile’ — Jimmy Marshall’s tight end transition sparks Blue Raider offense
9/15/2021 6:00:00 PM | Football
The 6-foot-5, 234 pound senior has impressed as a blocker and pass catcher early in 2021
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Heading into fall camp, the coaching staff for Middle Tennessee had each player pick one word to guide them through the hard work that would come on the practice field. A defining theme for what they wanted their time to center on.
Jimmy Marshall had an easy word to pick. With new offensive coordinator Brent Dearmon coming in during spring ball, implementing an offense that uses more tight end sets than the Blue Raiders ever had in Marshall's time on campus, the 6-foot-5, 234 pound wideout was an obvious choice for the coaching staff to try to mold into the team's new tight end weapon.
Marshall was hesitant at first. He'd been a wideout his whole life, and building the skills to play in a more hybrid, tight end role would require sacrifice, will, "want-to" on his part. But in a deep wide receiver room, he knew what word he had to pick.
"Open"
Open to what the coaches wanted him to do. Open to learning a new technique in the trenches. Open to getting mauled by Jordan Ferguson as he learned how to block as a tight end. Open to still being that slot receiver, that outside receiver, and then going and putting his hand in the dirt and blocking for his running backs.
"I think it's tough any time you're a receiver and you hear the term 'flex' or 'tight end,'" wide receivers coach Brent Stockstill said. "It's a little bit of a shock. But then you look at where the game is headed. That's kind of what the NFL is looking for. Guys like him, that can do a little bit of everything."
The open minded approach has paid big dividends through two games, highlighted by an eight catch, 111 receiving yard performance against Virginia Tech last week that saw the senior find plenty of space in the Hokie defense for big gains.
"The whole summer I just tried to work as hard as I can for moments like that, to be put in a position to make plays, to be one of the top targets," Marshall said. "It's really just all falling into place."
At Marshall's size, he often presents a matchup problem for opposing defenses. Linebackers are often able to physically compete, but usually are neither tall enough or fast enough to truly contest his routes. Defensive backs have the speed to keep up with him, but not the size to win a jump ball or make an easy tackle. Marshall, for his part, loves when he draws the linebackers on routes, as both Monmouth and Virginia Tech did much of the Blue Raiders first two games.
But even beyond matchups, Marshall's mere presence on the field can be extremely confusing for the other side's defensive coordinator.
"There's a lot of coordinators that are trying to figure out if he's a receiver or do we count him as a tight end? Are they in 10 personnel or 11 personnel?" Dearmon said. "So that's the biggest thing that we get out of him, is that we can kind of simplify some of the looks we can get because of him."
Stockstill points out that Marshall is still doing a lot of the traditional receiver work he's been doing since his position coach was the quarterback throwing to him, particularly out of the slot. That's part of the appeal, after all. You can go with a four-wide formation with him on the field as easily putting him beside Lance Robinson or Steven Losoya at tight end.
But Marshall's drive to get better at tight end, and even as a hybrid-back in certain formations, has stood out through the weeks of preparation this offseason, particularly with regards to his blocking.
"Practice has really been preparing me a lot," Marshall said. "I feel like I'm going against one of the best d-ends in the conference in Jordan Ferguson. Going against him every day, and really it's just like when I'm in the game, it's starting to get way easier. So this week should be easier than last week."
The development of Marshall's blocking technique has been the biggest surprise for the coaching staff so far this season. Dearmon praised his efforts on Virginia Tech's defensive ends last weekend, while Stockstill highlighted how his work on trying to stay low, alongside his past technique for blocking as a receiver, has helped his development.
"He's so long," Stockstill said. "He's great at his hand placement and getting those tight hands, so once he gets latched onto you, it's tough to get off."
His offensive coordinator praised his technique development as well, particularly for someone who's had very few tight end reps. But his formula for success blocking is a little more straightforward.
"Blocking is 90 percent want-to, and Jimmy's got a lot of want-to right now," Dearmon said. "He's doing a really good job of buying into that."
Marshall says the support of his teammates has helped, picking him up when he needs it and hyping him up when it's earned. He's even trying to pull over Izaiah Gathings to join him in his hybrid role, due to their similar build as wideouts. He hopes teams keep checking him with linebackers as the season develops, but has the confidence to compete with anyone across the line of scrimmage from him, whether it be a run-stopping defensive end or a safety pushed into playing nickel corner.
The openness has led to him being "1000 percent in," Stockstill said. And his former quarterback thinks the sky's the limit for him.
"When you watch him out here, he just makes me smile," Stockstill said. "The theme of our room is when you have great energy, the ball is going to find you. And Jimmy probably went in the box like eight to ten times to block, and he had eight catches for 111 yards. So he's representing that. You're doing the little things, the dirty work, and now the ball's going to find you in other ways.
"He's literally done everything, he's bought in, and he's probably been the most valuable player for our offense just because of his versatility."
Jimmy Marshall had an easy word to pick. With new offensive coordinator Brent Dearmon coming in during spring ball, implementing an offense that uses more tight end sets than the Blue Raiders ever had in Marshall's time on campus, the 6-foot-5, 234 pound wideout was an obvious choice for the coaching staff to try to mold into the team's new tight end weapon.
Marshall was hesitant at first. He'd been a wideout his whole life, and building the skills to play in a more hybrid, tight end role would require sacrifice, will, "want-to" on his part. But in a deep wide receiver room, he knew what word he had to pick.
"Open"
Open to what the coaches wanted him to do. Open to learning a new technique in the trenches. Open to getting mauled by Jordan Ferguson as he learned how to block as a tight end. Open to still being that slot receiver, that outside receiver, and then going and putting his hand in the dirt and blocking for his running backs.
"I think it's tough any time you're a receiver and you hear the term 'flex' or 'tight end,'" wide receivers coach Brent Stockstill said. "It's a little bit of a shock. But then you look at where the game is headed. That's kind of what the NFL is looking for. Guys like him, that can do a little bit of everything."
The open minded approach has paid big dividends through two games, highlighted by an eight catch, 111 receiving yard performance against Virginia Tech last week that saw the senior find plenty of space in the Hokie defense for big gains.
"The whole summer I just tried to work as hard as I can for moments like that, to be put in a position to make plays, to be one of the top targets," Marshall said. "It's really just all falling into place."
At Marshall's size, he often presents a matchup problem for opposing defenses. Linebackers are often able to physically compete, but usually are neither tall enough or fast enough to truly contest his routes. Defensive backs have the speed to keep up with him, but not the size to win a jump ball or make an easy tackle. Marshall, for his part, loves when he draws the linebackers on routes, as both Monmouth and Virginia Tech did much of the Blue Raiders first two games.
But even beyond matchups, Marshall's mere presence on the field can be extremely confusing for the other side's defensive coordinator.
"There's a lot of coordinators that are trying to figure out if he's a receiver or do we count him as a tight end? Are they in 10 personnel or 11 personnel?" Dearmon said. "So that's the biggest thing that we get out of him, is that we can kind of simplify some of the looks we can get because of him."
Stockstill points out that Marshall is still doing a lot of the traditional receiver work he's been doing since his position coach was the quarterback throwing to him, particularly out of the slot. That's part of the appeal, after all. You can go with a four-wide formation with him on the field as easily putting him beside Lance Robinson or Steven Losoya at tight end.
But Marshall's drive to get better at tight end, and even as a hybrid-back in certain formations, has stood out through the weeks of preparation this offseason, particularly with regards to his blocking.
"Practice has really been preparing me a lot," Marshall said. "I feel like I'm going against one of the best d-ends in the conference in Jordan Ferguson. Going against him every day, and really it's just like when I'm in the game, it's starting to get way easier. So this week should be easier than last week."
The development of Marshall's blocking technique has been the biggest surprise for the coaching staff so far this season. Dearmon praised his efforts on Virginia Tech's defensive ends last weekend, while Stockstill highlighted how his work on trying to stay low, alongside his past technique for blocking as a receiver, has helped his development.
"He's so long," Stockstill said. "He's great at his hand placement and getting those tight hands, so once he gets latched onto you, it's tough to get off."
His offensive coordinator praised his technique development as well, particularly for someone who's had very few tight end reps. But his formula for success blocking is a little more straightforward.
"Blocking is 90 percent want-to, and Jimmy's got a lot of want-to right now," Dearmon said. "He's doing a really good job of buying into that."
Marshall says the support of his teammates has helped, picking him up when he needs it and hyping him up when it's earned. He's even trying to pull over Izaiah Gathings to join him in his hybrid role, due to their similar build as wideouts. He hopes teams keep checking him with linebackers as the season develops, but has the confidence to compete with anyone across the line of scrimmage from him, whether it be a run-stopping defensive end or a safety pushed into playing nickel corner.
The openness has led to him being "1000 percent in," Stockstill said. And his former quarterback thinks the sky's the limit for him.
"When you watch him out here, he just makes me smile," Stockstill said. "The theme of our room is when you have great energy, the ball is going to find you. And Jimmy probably went in the box like eight to ten times to block, and he had eight catches for 111 yards. So he's representing that. You're doing the little things, the dirty work, and now the ball's going to find you in other ways.
"He's literally done everything, he's bought in, and he's probably been the most valuable player for our offense just because of his versatility."
Heck of a day for our guy @UnHumanly yesterday.
— Middle Tennessee FB (@MT_FB) September 12, 2021
New career high for receptions, and one receiving yard shy of tying his career high. 🔥#BlueRaiders | #EATT pic.twitter.com/02fkwvXTFK
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