ATHENS, Ga. – A year after Todd Gurley elected to forgo his final season of eligibility as a Georgia tailback, Keith Marshall has decided to do the same.
Marshall recently approached Bulldogs coach Mark Richt about participating in the senior ceremony before Saturday night’s game against Georgia Southern. The 5-foot-11, 212-pound redshirt junior from Raleigh, N.C., has been a member of the SEC honor roll throughout his time at Georgia and soon will graduate with a degree in finance.
“Obviously he has come in and played extremely well for us throughout his career,” Richt said Tuesday. “He just wants to graduate and go on and take his shot at the NFL when this season is over.”
Marshall and Gurley arrived as top-50 national prospects in the 2012 signing class and quickly formed the “Gurshall” tandem for the Eastern Division champions. Marshall rushed for 759 yards and averaged 6.5 yards per carry as a freshman, including a 164-yard performance in the 51-44 win over Tennessee at Sanford Stadium.
His first trip to Tennessee, however, was disastrous, as Marshall tore his ACL during the 2013 meeting and took longer than expected to recover. He attempted a return last year but rushed just 12 times for 24 yards in three games before being shut down for the season.