Marcellus Marshall to make UCF debut against former team Kent State
Marcellus Marshall appears poised to be one of UCF's most impactful newcomers.
Though UCF has yet to announce a depth chart, there's a good chance the Morgantown, W.Va., native will start at left guard.
It just so happens his first game with his new team will be against his old team. Marshall spent the first three years of collegiate career at Kent State where he earned All-MAC honors last season.
"I didn't realize it until after I committed," Marshall said. 'Everyone was like, 'Oh, they're playing Kent in game one.' At the end of the day, I always look at it as another game. Like, whoever is on the schedule for that week, we're going to game plan and go and win the game.
"It'll be cool to be able to look across the sideline and see some familiar faces, people that I know. It'll be nice to be able to catch up with some of those guys after the game. Check in on them and see how they're doing. It's a coincidence for sure. It's not many times that someone gets the opportunity to do this. But, I'm definitely looking at it like it's another game."
Kent State saw a lot of attrition due to the offseason coaching change (Kenni Burns replaced Sean Lewis as head coach), but Marshall obviously still knows quite a few players.
"I'm not one who really gets in on all the smack talking," Marshall said. "I've talked to some of the guys (at Kent State) and they're like, 'Oh, it's gonna be a game,' and I'm like, yeah, it's another football game. Let's go play football.
"I'm excited for it. It'll be nice. It'll be a good opportunity to just showcase my abilities. It'll be my first time running out of the tunnel in the Bounce House and make a name for myself here at UCF. I think it'll be an amazing opportunity. It just happens to be those guys that are gonna be getting off the bus."
Marshall, who was a left tackle at Kent State, enrolled at UCF in January. He began spring practice as a tackle, but quickly transitioned to Sam Jackson's old left guard spot. He's remained there ever since.
Marshall said guard, tackle, whatever - it doesn't matter. He'll play wherever Herb Hand needs him to play. He said he chose UCF to take his game to another level and he loved the family atmosphere he felt on his visit.
"I think I made the best decision for myself," Marshall said. "It's been an amazing experience so far. Everyone's welcomed me with open arms. I chose this place for the opportunity to be developed and I'm 100 percent getting that."
Marshall has three years of eligibility remaining.
"Our goal is to win a Big 12 championship and I think we have 100 percent the ability to do that," Marshall said. "We talk about it every day, just meeting the standard. If you want to win a championship, you got to hold yourself to a championship standard and we practice like that every day.
"First time in the Big 12 for UCF, it's a great opportunity to be able to put a stamp on it. Like, this is who UCF is going to be in the Big 12 for many years to come. It's definitely an exciting opportunity for us to go ahead and put on a show for everybody."