“You’d rather leave and want to come back than to stay and want to leave.” That is a direct quote from coveted Ohio State linebacker Raekwon McMillan said when asked about the flurry of players leaving early, including the ones not guaranteed to be drafted. These wise words were said before the draft, and despite being projected as a middle to late round draft pick, Buckeye star-receiver Jalin Marshall went undrafted. Marshall repeatedly explained his decision to leave as a personal agenda rather than being about money and explained feeling like “it was my time to go.” As only a redshirt sophomore in a system filled to the brim with playmakers, Marshall was relegated to getting a minimum amount of attention in a system that swapped quarterbacks every game and ran the ball as often as possible. Despite all that, he still managed to tally 36 catches for 477 yards and five touchdowns. His numbers were underwhelming but so were his credentials at the combine. Sitting below six feet at 5’10” he was considered short and he also ran a less than stellar 4.68 for his 40 yard dash. He managed only 16 reps on his bench press but he did have a combine-best time in the 20 yard shuttle run. All of this in mind, why would Marshall forgo his final two years as a Buckeye to enter the draft earlier than expected? Secondly, how bad of a decision really was it? Feb 25, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jalin Marshall heads to the interview room during the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports It can’t all be about money It can be frustrating for a player who has major athletic talent in the open space, on jet sweeps, and deep balls to be the second option on all of them. …
Continue Reading: A hard lesson for Ohio State Football
