On the other side of this interminable heat, humidity, and rain is a precious thing in Minnesota: fall. To get you ready for it, Ski-U-Blog is again previewing this year's Gopher football team, one position group at a time. Next up: the offensive line.
Likely Starters
Though he will start at right guard, Marcellus Marshall could end up covering anywhere on the offensive line. He was a first-team All-MAC left tackle at Kent State in 2022; split 2023 at UCF between left guard, right guard, and right tackle; and even started a game at center for the Knights in 2024. Marshall is the ultimate utilityman.
He is not only flexible — not to mention durable — but reliable as well. Marshall does nothing spectacular, but he plays like a lineman with more than 2,000 college snaps under his belt. He does not make many mistakes, taking just two penalties all of last season. He rarely misses an assignment in protection and intelligently passes work to a teammate when a late rusher arrives. He effectively executed the many pulls in Gus Malzahn's complicated run game. He can make blocks in the open field and in the second level, a hard thing for many linemen to do. This all makes Marshall an extremely competent player.
For all the things he does right, there are admittedly few moments Marshall does them exceptionally. He holds his own more than he dominates. Though he was far from UCF's biggest problem against Florida last October, Marshall's performance that day suggested he might not be a match for the biggest lines on the schedule. He does a job wherever he is needed but does not elevate the unit as a whole. That still makes Marshall a valuable addition to this offensive line.
