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Class of 2014 safety Trey Marshall is quickly becoming one of the most hotly-pursued defensive backs in the nation. The 5'11, 193-pound Marshall plays high school ball at Lake City (Fla.) Columbia High School. His highlight tape is available courtesy of Hudl.
Marshall has received a consensus four-star rating from the four major recruiting services, but opinions on him are mixed. 24/7 Sports gave Marshall a four-star grade and 92/100 rating, ranking him as the No. 10 safety nationally and No. 18 player in Florida. Scout also gives Marshall four stars. Rivals is not as impressed, with only a three-star grade on Marshall and ranking him 30th nationally among safeties. ESPN has not yet rated him. These ratings are as of May and change frequently.
The difference of opinion among the scouting sites has not scared off potential suitors, who are lining up to give Marshall scholarship offers. As of May, Marshall held 13 offers, including Florida State, Georgia, Louisville, Florida, Arkansas, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, Tennessee and West Virginia.
Bud Elliott, National Recruiting Analyst: Marshall's greatest attribute is his versatility -- something I find is underrated in the football scouting community. It's frustrating, because in the era of 85 scholarships, the ability to do multiple things is quite valuable indeed.
Marshall is an aggressive run defender, often lining up in the box and in the position of a slot cornerback. Marshall delivers a blow and tackles the ball carrier in the correct spot. Marshall can be overaggressive at times, but does beat blocks and get runners on the ground.
Against the pass, Marshall shows good range and instincts.
As a safety, does not profile as a true center fielder, but should be able to take a deep half effectively, and I would trust him to be a plus defender in robber coverage. As a cornerback, he can be physical with opposing receivers from the nickel position. I do not think Marshall has the true long speed to be a cornerback on an island.
I'm comfortable saying that Marshall one of the 20 best safeties I've scouted in 2014, and he could be even better.