Pac-12 Player Poised To Break Out: Cameron Marshall, Arizona State
While the Pac-12 is known as a passing league, and is home to many of the nation’s top wide receivers, there are plenty of talented running backs in the conference as well. Kenjon Barner of Oregon, Stepfan Taylor at Stanford, John White IV at Utah, Isi Sofele at Cal, and the Trojan duo of Silas Redd and Curtis McNeal are all gifted runners who will be featured prominently in their team’s offense and all will be vying to be the best back in the conference. However, one runner could be right in the mix with them who has flown a bit under the radar this offseason. 2012 could be the year that Arizona State‘s Cameron Marshall explodes onto the scene.
Marshall enjoyed a very good 2011 campaign with the Sun Devils, rushing for over 1,000 yards and ended up tied with Oregon’s LaMichael James for the league lead with 18 rushing touchdowns. He also caught 24 passes last season, the second most of any returning running back in the Pac-12, behind only Taylor who had 25. He was overlooked a bit last season, however, because of the seven Pac-12 runners who went over 1,000 yards, Marshall had the lowest yards per carry average at just 4.6. He missed out on earning Pac-12 all-conference honors more because of the accomplishments of the other runners (James, Chris Polk, Taylor, White) than for any deficiency in his game.
That may not be a problem this year, though, as Marshall is poised to have a breakout year with new head coach Todd Graham. One reason: health. Last season, Marshall was playing through a series of nagging ankle injuries. So on one wheel, the running back was able to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark and tie for the league lead in scoring. He underwent surgery this offseason to clean out the ankle and should be 100% healthy for the upcoming season, which spells trouble for Pac-12 defenses this season.
The other, and more important, reason for Marshall to be poised to break out in 2012 is the new system that Graham brings to Tempe. Last season, Marshall was able to excel in a spread offense that passed the ball 56 percent of the time. Most of the running plays were stretch plays outside of the tackles, designed to run sideline to sideline to get outside the defense before turning upfield. Marshall is fast, but that style doesn’t play to his strengths as a runner.
Graham brings a different style of offense with a downhill, inside-zone, power running game that tailor-made for Marshall’s ability. At 5-foot-11 and 223 pounds, Marshall is a bruising runner best suited to running over defenders rather than dancing around them. Graham’s system will allow the wrecking ball of a runner to attack the line of scrimmage, punishing defense for tough yards and using his elusiveness and quickness to evade tackles downfield and explode through the hole at the line of scrimmage. This style should play even better in the Pac-12, where linebackers tend to be built for speed rather than bulk.
While Cameron Marshall was good in 2011, he is poised to be great in 2012. Finally healthy and in a new system that will cater to his strengths and feature his talents in the offensive gameplan, he could easily finish the season as one of the top runners in the Pac-12 and maybe the nation.
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