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Southeast

Nation's No. 2 DB Upgrades Florida's Defense Right Away

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Jason Marshall Jr. is everything a college football coach dreams of in a cornerback. He can run like the wind. At 6-foot-2 and 180 pounds, he already possesses the size and strength to muscle up with the top wide receivers in the NCAA, too.

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Those reasons are part of why Marshall is ranked as the No. 2 cornerback and the No. 28 overall prospect in the class of 2021, according to 247Sports.

In an era when teams across the United States are looking to get bigger and faster, coaches flocked to Miami Palmetto High School to try to nab the five-star defensive back.

Ahead of his senior season, via Twitter, Marshall announced his commitment to the University of Florida Gators football team and is the highest-rated recruit in Dan Mullen's 2021 recruiting class.

CB Jason Marshall Commits to Florida

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Unsurprisingly, Jason Marshall Jr. fielded more than 25 offers from Power 5 programs across the country. Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Penn State, Pittsburgh, South Florida, Tennessee, and USC all sent him offers.

Marshall, however, made it clear in April 2020 he'd be attending one of three schools: Alabama, Florida, or Clemson. In July, he broadened the finalist list back to five schools, booting Clemson and throwing LSU, Miami, and Oregon into the mix.

Alabama and LSU are no strangers to securing five-star athletes, but Florida fans must feel nice about securing a prospect away from their SEC rivals.

Considering former UF cornerback C.J. Henderson was recently drafted in the first round, Gainesville is becoming a breeding ground for NFL-caliber defensive talent.

"The coverage they run," Marshall told 247Sports of what he likes about Florida. "Man, man press, and other stuff. I pride myself on my tackling, and that is something they do very well here."

UF head coach Dan Mullen and his coaching staff have been criticized for their lack of recruiting five-star players since taking over the program. Marshall would mark a five-star defensive player in back-to-back recruiting classes following defensive lineman Gervon Dexter in 2020.

Marshall's high school teammate, Corey Collier, also committed to the Gators.

Jason Marshall Highlights

Jason Marshall Jr.'s length, leaping ability, and quickness all stand out when you watch his tape. The two-way (varsity basketball) athlete's athleticism practically jumps out of the video.

In his junior season at Miami Palmetto, he racked up 15 pass break-ups, five interceptions, and 44 tackles and helped lead his team into the playoffs. MaxPreps named him to its 2020 Preseason High School All-American Football Team.

According to 247Sports Composite evaluation, Marshall has the body of a "new-age corner" and projects as a second-round draft pick:

"Some muscle has already developed in the upper body, but no where near close to being maxed out. A natural athlete with a bounce to his step which likely stems from his basketball background. Tracks the ball extremely well and doesn't seem to have a problem flipping his hips while running in coverage. Excels on defense, but also makes an impact on offense and can score via the return game."

Jason Marshall Jr.'s career is just getting started. It won't be easy to adapt to the SEC right away, but he has the tools to make the most of his potential.

This post was originally published on April 28, 2020, and updated throughout Jason Marshall Jr.'s recruitment.

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