With the NFL Draft process in full flux, players will do just about anything to increase their draft stock.
To help his chances, Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall is changing positions, reverting back to his old position of cornerback.
Marshall was recruited to Georgia as a cornerback out of high school, but switched to quarterback when he was dismissed from the team. He was under center for Garden City Community College for one season and then transferred to Auburn at the same position two season ago.
Marshall led Auburn to an SEC Championship and a berth in the final BCS National Championship game last season, and threw for 4,508 yards and 34 touchdowns, with 1,866 rushing yards and 23 rushing touchdowns during his career at the school. His skills translated perfectly to Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn’s system, but Marshall’s under-sized frame, lack of arm strength and occasional accuracy issues have not made him a coveted prospect in NFL circles.
While he was invited to Mobile, Ala. for Saturday’s Senior Bowl as a quarterback, he has only been training as a cornerback since the college season ended, prepping for the NFL Draft, which takes place April 30-May 2. ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper said Marshall could be drafted in the fourth or fifth round as a defensive back. Marshall played in 13 games at cornerback for Georgia in 2011, and was a four-star recruit out of high school.
With this decision, Marshall hopes that he can move back to the cornerback position successfully and play in the NFL covering passes instead of throwing them.
“It wasn’t difficult because I played cornerback coming up,” Marshall said. “It won’t be a hard transition for me to make. It’s something that I know if I put my mind to it I can do anything that I want.”
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