WVU quarterback sees his path to NFL as a receiver

A top executive from an AFC team sat down at the West Virginia/Syracuse football game last season and was asked about Mountaineers quarterback Rasheed Marshall.

The executive said he likes Marshall's speed and toughness, but he just didn't know in which direction it would be funneled in the NFL.

Marshall will try to begin furnishing the answer Feb. 24 when he reports to the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis as a wide receiver.

West Virginia's fourth-leading all-time passer with 5,427 yards plans to make his living catching footballs, rather than throwing them.

The former Brashear High School standout thought about continuing his quarterback career, which resulted in 25 WVU victories and 7,396 yards of total offense (second in school history) in three years. Practical matters swayed him otherwise.

"It's a situation, if they are going to pay me to do something else, I can't really complain," he said. "I feel if I can make the switch and it's going to be that easy, there is no reason to complain about it."

Since the end of last season, Marshall, 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, has been working out in Atlanta with a personal trainer, running routes and working on his receiving skills.

He believes his athletic ability will help ease the transition.

"That will take care of a lot of the problems that would be there for another player," said Marshall, who hasn't played wide receiver since his sophomore year at Brashear. "You put everything together, the athleticism and the talent, and it's not going to be that hard. I feel I am a natural athlete."

Marshall issued warnings to his West Virginia wide receivers many times.

"I joked around with the guys, and told them that if I did play wide receiver, one of them would be on the bench," he said.

Rodriguez designed reverse passes in which Marshall was the intended receiver, but he seldom used them in games.

"I don't think he ever dropped one (in practice)," Rodriguez said. "He caught one in the Pitt game two years ago, and he was open this year (against the Panthers) and it got batted away."

Rodriguez said he believes that Marshall, who led WVU with 947 gross rushing yards last season, can be successful in making the switch.

"He's got the hands for it," he said.

Marshall is 3 inches taller and about 2 pounds lighter than Steelers wide receiver Antwaan Randle El, who played quarterback during his entire career at Indiana University.

"He's kind of slight, but very strong for his size," Rodriguez said of Marshall. "He's got a good arm, maybe not a John Elway arm, but he can make all the throws."

The biggest difference between Marshall and Randle El is Randle El's ability as a returner.

"Randle El has a little more shake to him, but Rasheed (4.5 in the 40) is just as fast."

Rodriguez said Marshall's experience as a quarterback will help him more fully understand route running and attacking coverages.

"I think he can do it," he said.

Marshall said he can double as an emergency quarterback and save a team a roster spot and, therefore, "a whole bunch of money."

Although it's too early in the evaluation process to be sure, most draft experts believe Marshall will be selected within the first three rounds. Marshall, himself, admits that he won't immediately master all the fundamentals of the position, and he will be behind several wide receivers in that regard.

"There have been other guys who have been playing wide receiver all their life and know the ins and outs, things I wouldn't know just through inexperience."

But he said it's not a gamble to draft him.

"I feel as if I am a player, regardless of the position," he said. "I am going to succeed."

Rasheed Marshall's career statistics at WVU

Passing

Rushing