'Just another game': Marcellus Marshall makes UCF debut against former team, Kent State

ORLANDO — Marcellus Marshall will see his former team across the sidelines when he makes his UCF debut Thursday night. What he won't see, however, is the majority of players he suited up with a year ago.

Marshall joined a mass exodus from Kent State in the aftermath of Golden Flashes coach Sean Lewis' decision to leave and accept the offensive coordinator position at Colorado. The 6-foot-5, 310-pound junior offensive lineman entered his name into the NCAA transfer portal, and ended up at UCF.

The Knights begin their inaugural football season within the Big 12 Conference with a 7 p.m. home date against Kent State. The visitors have 11 new offensive starters, losing eight via transfer alone, and 20 newcomers out of the portal from other schools, per Dan Griffin, Kent State's director of athletic communications.

Marshall remained in contact with several Kent State holdovers through the summer, including his former roommate, senior slot receiver Luke Floriea. He'll reconvene with a few friends after the final whistle, but it's strictly business until then.

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"At the end of the day, I'm here to play football. … It happens to be them. If it would have been anyone else, it (still) would be just another game," Marshall said earlier this month. "The roster's not the same there, and I think anyone who has been around knows that.

"Right now, we're close. After the game, we're going to be close. But during that time once the ball is put onto the grass, we're playing another football game and trying to win."

Marshall started all 12 of Kent State's games last year at left tackle, earning All-Mid-American Conference first team honors. The Golden Flashes led their conference in rushing (202.1 yards per game), and were one of just two MAC teams to surpass 5,000 yards of offense.

Kent State finished with a 5-7 record, competing in high-profile, non-conference games against Washington, Oklahoma and eventual national champion Georgia. Less than two weeks after the season's conclusion, on Dec. 5, 2022, Lewis bolted for Boulder and a position on Deion Sanders' staff.

A day later, Marshall hopped into the portal and began fielding offers from a host of Power Five programs.

"It's like no other," Marshall said. "When it happened, it all happened so fast. That's the biggest difference between high school recruiting and the portal.

"Once you make the decision to get into the portal, it's like, 'Alright, we've got to figure out where we're going and get on the road.'"

Marshall spent two weeks in the portal before choosing the Knights over Colorado, Minnesota, Pittsburgh and his hometown school, West Virginia. UCF welcomes in the Mountaineers for homecoming on Oct. 28.

UCF's family atmosphere and an opportunity to develop under offensive line coach Herb Hand influenced his decision, Marshall said.

"I feel like I've put myself in the best position to be very successful in the game now, and to be successful at the next level as well," Marshall said.

According to Pro Football Focus, Marshall logged 869 snaps last season and posted a 60.6 overall grade out of 100 — including marks of 64 for run blocking and 51.8 in pass protection. He allowed one sack, though he surrendered 22 QB pressures, and was flagged for nine penalties.

During the spring and for the opening weeks of fall camp, Marshall primarily worked inside at left guard. However, in somewhat of a surprise, UCF listed him as the starting right tackle in its game-week depth chart, released Monday. Fresno State transfer Bula Schmidt will instead play left guard, while Drake Metcalf won the three-man camp battle at center.

"He was real consistent," Knights coach Gus Malzahn said of Marshall during Monday's press conference. "We felt like at the end of fall camp, this past week, he was one of our top five (offensive linemen) at this point.

"(Offensive line coach Herb) Hand moved him there, and he's had a good, solid week-and-a-half at tackle."

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: UCF football: Marcellus Marshall battles former team, Kent State