(QB Cole Pennington – USA Today Sports)
Key Players Returning:
WR DeMarcus Harris, TE Cade Conley, OC Logan Osburn, DE Michael Green, DT TyQaze Leggs, NB Josh Moten, FS JJ Roberts, SS AG McGhee, and PK Rece Verhoff.
Key Players Departing:
QB Cam Fancher (FAU transfer), RB Rasheen Ali (Ravens R5), WR Caleb Coombs, WR/KR Jayden Harrison (Notre Dame transfer), WR Darryle Simmons, OC Trent Holler (Memphis transfer), OG Dalton Tucker, OT Ethan Driskell, OT Lloyd Willis, DE Elijah Alston (Miami, FL transfer), DE Sam Burton, DE Owen Porter, LB KeSean Brown, LB Stephen Dix Jr. (Arkansas transfer), LB Eli Neal, CB Micah Abraham (Colts R6), CB Dyoni Hill (Miami, FL transfer), NB Jacobie Henderson, and PT John McConnell.
(WR Christian Fitzpatrick – 247Sports)
Top 10 Recruits:
3 Star Recruits: WR Christian Fitzpatrick (Michigan State transfer), LB Monroe Beard III (LSU transfer), DT Will Norman (Florida transfer), CB Isaiah Johnson (Arizona State transfer), DT Will Norman (Florida transfer), TE Aidan Steinfeldt (Bloomington, Indiana), DE Jacarius Clayton (Mississippi State transfer), QB Braylon Braxton (Tulsa transfer), QB Mitch Griffis (Wake Forest transfer), and WR Tychaun Chapman (North Carolina transfer).
2023 Results:
G01 UALBANY W 21-17
G02 @ East Carolina W 31-13
G03 VIRGINIA TECH W 24-17
G04 OLD DOMINION W 41-35
G05 @ NC State L 41-48
G06 @ Georgia State L 24-41
G07 JAMES MADISON L 9-20
G08 @ Coastal Carolina L 6-34
G09 @ Appalachian State L 9-31
G10 GEORGIA SOUTHERN W 38-33
G11 @ South Alabama L 0-28
G12 ARKANSAS STATE W 35-21
BOWL vs. UTSA L 17-35
Team Info:
2023 Overall: 6-7 (3rd in SBC East)
Home: 5-1
Away: 1-5
Neutral: 0-1
SBC: 3-5
Non-SBC: 3-2
Head Coach: Charles Huff
Marshall: 22-17
Career: 22-17
Bowls: 1-2
(DE Michael Green/DT TyQaze Leggs – Herald-Dispatch)
Returning Statistical Leaders:
Passing: Cole Pennington (64-112, 695 yards, 57.1%, 6.2 avg., 0 TD, 6 Int.)
Rushing: Ethan Payne (83 car., 335 yards, 4.0 avg., 1 TD)
Receiving: DeMarcus Harris (24 rec., 396 yards, 16.5 avg., 1 TD)
TD’s Scored: Chuck Montgomery (3)
Sacks: Mike Green (4.5)
Tackles: JJ Roberts (73)
Interceptions: JJ Roberts (2)
Pass Deflections: Josh Moten (6)
Tackles For Loss: Mike Green (9)
Forced Fumbles: Mike Green/JJ Roberts (1)
Kick Returns: AJ Turner (3 ret., 32 yards, 10.7 avg., 0 TD)
Punt Returns: None
Kicking: Rece Verhoff (11-18 fg/fga., 61%, 32-32 xp/xpa., 65 pts.)
Punting: Alec Clark (7 punts, 282 yards, 40.3 avg., 1 in20)
Projected Offensive Starters:
QB: 1 Braylon Braxton (RS JR/TR)
RB: 6 Jordan Houston (RS SR/TR)
WR: 4 DeMarcus Harris (SR/TR)
WR: 7 Carl Chester (SR/TR)
WR: 9 Elijah Metcalf (RS JR/TR)
TE: 83 Cade Conley (RS JR/TR)
LT: 52 Elijah Ellis (RS SR/TR)
LG: 70 Jalen Slappy (RS SO)
OC: 65 Logan Osburn (RS SR)
RG: 55 Bryce Ramsey (RS SR/TR)
RT: 74 Jeremy Jones (SR/TR)
KR: 28 Ethan Payne (SR)
PK: 90 Rece Verhoff (JR)
Projected Defensive Starters:
DE: 15 Mike Green (RS SO/TR)
DT: 99 Isaiah Gibson Sr. (RS SR/TR)
DT: 5 TyQaze Leggs (RS SR/TR)
DE: 93 Jabari Ishmael (RS JR/TR)
LB: 9 Landyn Watson (RS JR/TR)
LB: 25 J’Coryan Anderson (RS SR)
NB: 1 Josh Moten (JR/TR)
CB: 3 Ishmael Ibraheem (RS SO/TR)
CB: 10 Jacobie Henderson (RS SO)
FS: 11 JJ Roberts (RS SR/TR)
SS: 18 AG McGhee (JR)
PR: 5 AJ Turner (RS SO)
PT: 98 Alec Clark (RS FR)
(FS JJ Roberts – Charleston Gazette)
Team Grades:
Offense
Quarterbacks: C
Running Backs: C
Wide Receivers: C
Offensive Line: B
Defense
Defensive Line: B
Linebackers: C
Secondary: C
Special Teams
Kick Returners: C
Punt Returners: C
Kickers: C
Punters: C
Schedule:
08/31 STONY BROOK SEAWOLVES | First meeting between schools.
09/07 @ Virginia Tech Hokies | Marshal trails the series 3-11. The Thundering Herd won (24-17) last season’s meeting between schools, and they lost (20-41) the prior meeting in 2018.
09/21 @ Ohio State Buckeyes | Marshall lost (21-24) the only prior meeting between schools in 2004.
09/28 WESTERN MICHIGAN BRONCOS | Marshall trails the series 12-22. The Thundering Herd won (31-21) the last meeting between schools in 2004.
10/05 APPALACHIAN STATE MOUNTAINEERS | Marshall trails the series 10-16. The Thundering Herd lost (9-31) last season’s meeting between schools, and they won (28-21) the prior meeting in 2022.
10/12 @ George Southern Eagles | Marshall leads the series 6-2. The Thundering Herd won (38-33) last season’s meeting between schools, and they won (23-10) the prior meeting in 2022.
10/17 GEORGIA STATE PANTHERS | The series is tied 1-1. The Thundering Herd lost (24-41) last season’s meeting between schools, and they won (28-23) the inaugural meeting in 2022.
11/02 UL-MARTIN WARHAWKS | Marshall lost (42-43) the only prior meeting between schools in 1987.
11/09 @ Southern Miss Golden Eagles | Marshall trails the series 6-8. The Thundering Herd lost (24-26) the last meeting between schools in 2018.
11/16 COASTAL CAROLINA CHANTICLEERS | Marshall trails the series 0-2. The Thundering Herd lost (6-34) last season’s meeting between schools, and they lost (13-24) the inaugural meeting in 2022.
11/23 @ Old Dominion Monarchs | Marshall leads the series 8-1. The Thundering Herd won (41-35) last season’s meeting between schools, and their only series loss (14-38) was in 2016.
11/30 @ James Madison Dukes | The series is tied 1-1. The Thundering Herd lost (9-20) last season’s meeting between schools, and they won (26-12) the inaugural meeting in 2022.
Predictions:
Home: 2-4
Away: 0-6
Neutral: 0-0
SBC: 1-7
Non-SBC: 1-3
Overall: 2-10 (7th in SBC East)
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