St. Mary’s of Stockton junior wide receiver Jadyn Marshall has only attended two camps since the end of last season, both National Preps Collegiate Showcase events. And at the first one in Fresno in September, he wasn’t even able to compete with the wide receivers due to logistics.
When Marshal got the opportunity to compete as a receiver at Vacaville Christian on November 21, the three-sport star more than made the most of it, earning overall Offensive MVP honors at the Showcase.
The fact he was the top offensive performer at Vacaville only reinforces the fact that the 6-foot, 181-pound Marshall is the top-rated recruit for any position from the Class of 2022 from Northern California, let alone wide receiver. Even so, he was not overly confident about his performance.
“I consider myself a humble person so yes I was surprised to win offensive MVP,” Marshall said. “I just went out there and worked just like a lot of others so it could have gone to anybody.”
“I also feel like the drills came naturally to me even and even though I made a couple of mistakes, it didn’t hinder me that much because it’s not how you start it’s how you finish,” continued Marshall. “A good player versus a great player is how he or she battles adversity when things get rough or aren’t going your way.”
In Fresno, the top-rated wide receiver in Northern California did not get to compete with the wide receivers in the afternoon since his ride from Stockton had to leave before the receivers went through their drills.
No problem. Marshall, who also plays defensive back, competed with the defensive backs in the morning, looked extremely sharp, and solidified his ranking by National Preps as an Elite BCS prospect.
The speedy Marshall turned in the second-best 40 in Fresno with a 4.53 laser-timed effort, the top time for an underclassman at the event.
He duplicated a second-best 40 in Vacaville, this time right behind Testing MVP Croix Stewart of Benicia, but he took it down a tick with 4.52 effort. He also had a 113-inch standing broad jump.
“When I went to Fresno I only got DB film but I showcased my speed and how fast I am,” Marshall said. “Then in Vacaville I just wanted to prove why I’m a top wide receiver recruit in the country.
We mentioned that Marshall, who carries a 3.4 GPA in the classroom, is an accomplished three-sport athlete, competing in football, track and basketball.
Last season in football, and on a team that went 6-5 before bowing out 28-21 to Monterey Trail-Elk Grove in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division I playoffs, Marshall had 68 pass receptions for 1,128 yards and nine TDs, plus another 253 yards and five more scores rushing.
Marshall also returned two punts for touchdowns and between punt and kickoff returns he added another 437 yards of total offense.
His track season got wiped out by the pandemic this past school year, but in 2019, when he was a freshman, his brother Jamar was a junior and won the 110-meter hurdles and was third in the 300-meter hurdles at the CIF State track meet, Jadyn finished ninth in the 300-meter hurdles and was the only freshman or sophomore to place.
On the basketball court, Marshall put up some very solid numbers last season for it being his third sport. On a team that was the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division II runner-up and then made it to the CIF Northern Regional Division II semifinals, Marshall averaged 6.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. Incidentally, Jamar, who is now running track at Arizona State, led the team in scoring at 15.4 points per game.
When asked what he feels makes Jadyn special and how he compares to other outstanding players he’s had over the years at St. Mary’s, Rams Coach Tony Franks had this to say:
“First of all Jadyn is an extremely gifted athlete. It’s also rare these days to have a three-sport athlete who is so talented in all three sports. Jadyn loves football and has really applied himself to the process of becoming the best he can be.”
“Another great thing about Jadyn is he yearns to be coached,” Franks continued. “He often asks for critiques about his techniques either in the weight room or on the football field. It’s great to see him willing to work so hard to do things right.”
“Regarding comparisons to other players that have gone through our program? We may never have had a player who runs the way Jadyn can, except maybe his brother Jamar who just graduated,” Franks said. “His size and speed compares to the best we have ever had. His athletic skills remind me a bit of Josh Harper, who had such a great career at Fresno State and then briefly with the Oakland Raiders."
Comparing Marshall to other great St. Mary’s players still has a ways to go with him only a junior, but if his current major D1 offers are an indication of his prowess, Jadyn could be off the charts after all is said and done.
In alphabetical order, Marshall’s offers are from Arizona State, Auburn, California, Nebraska, Oregon, Oregon State, San Jose State, Tennessee, UCLA, UNLV and USC.
Like all great players at every level, Marshall is aware of his attributes and areas where he needs improvement.
“An attribute I feel I have that I think is among the tops in the country is my run after catch and my ability to make people miss when I have the ball,” Marshall said. “That can turn a zero play into 10 yards or even a big play or a touchdown. I feel that separates me from other wide receivers because I think nobody can tackle me in the open field.”
“I think my route running could be even better,” Marshall said regarding areas for improvement. “And just making my release create separation from the DB, and working on all the stuff that will make me a more sound wide receiver.”
Brandon Huffman, the National Recruiting Editor for 247Sports.com rates Marshall as a 4-star prospect.
“What separates him is his top-end speed,” Huffman said. “And he’s an elite track guy with a hurdling background, but also has good straight line speed, but is also pretty twitchy, a natural pass catcher with good burst and explosion.”
What about this season and the team?
“Our team this year is extremely talented and I love every part of our team,” Marshall said. “I think if we have a season we will be special and also have some guys who aren’t big names but who are trying to make a name for themselves.
Jadyn Marshall has already made a name for himself. The question is when and if he will get the next opportunity to show his skills in an actual game this school year.
