Marshall arrived at Florida State with plenty to prove and little time to do it. After missing spring practice and the first scrimmage of fall camp, the junior college transfer has still managed to catch the attention of the Seminole's coaching staff.
Time has not been on Malachi Marshall’s side since he arrived at Florida State, but the transfer quarterback appears to have made every moment count despite an injury forcing him to miss the first scrimmage of fall camp.
Marshall didn’t enroll at Florida State until near the end of May, missing the 15 spring practices and final scrimmage that were held from early March through mid-April. Unlike Marshall, Ashton Daniels participated in those practices and was ultimately named the Seminole's starting quarterback.
The 6-foot-2, 168-pound junior quarterback is originally from Rock Hill, South Carolina, and went to South Pointe High School. Marshall began his college career at Stony Brook University before transferring to Iowa Western Community College, where he proved himself as one of the top junior college quarterbacks in the country before making his way to Florida State.
Now with Marshall looking to lock up the backup role, an undisclosed injury forced him to miss a golden chance to take control of the second spot by missing the first scrimmage of fall camp. Mike Norvell, after the scrimmage, said that Marshall was held out.
"A slight little injury that kept him from tonight, but hopefully we'll be able to get him back here this week and be able to see him in the next scrimmage," Norvell said.
But despite missing the scrimmage, Marshall appears to have made an impression on the coaching staff, according to quarterbacks coach Austin Tucker.
“Just to see how quickly, him getting a late start, that he's able to learn the offense, build relationships with his players, and obviously go out and execute,” Tucker.
Marshall was considered one of, if not the top, quarterback coming out of junior college, and he chose Florida State with the belief that he could “do something great” in Tallahassee.
The jump from competing in the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference and NJCAA Division I to playing in the ACC at one of college football’s premier programs is a significant leap; Marshall doesn’t lack the confidence to make it.
"I've got real big dreams and aspirations for myself, and I feel like this is the place to accomplish them,” Marshall said.
Marshall helped lead the Iowa Western Reivers to a 12-1 record in 2025 and the NJCAA Division I National Championship. Marshall played in 13 games and completed 201 passes for 2,750 yards, 33 touchdowns, with eight interceptions and a 63 percent completion percentage. He also added three rushing touchdowns and had 123 yards on 63 carries.
For a quarterback, even at the JUCO level, a 33-to-8 touchdown-to-interception ratio is impressive and shows Marshall's ability to make good decisions with the football.
“The guy's been great; he's done a great job since he got here,” Tucker said. “he has great arm talent and has shown to make good decisions on the field”
For Marshall, the rest of fall camp is about making up for lost time; first missing the entire spring practice and now the opening scrimmage of fall camp. But despite having limited opportunities, he has apparently done enough to catch the attention of the Seminole's coaching staff. Now, if he is healthy enough to play Sunday, Marshall will have another chance to prove that his talent can translate from the JUCO level to the ACC.
