Film Evaluation: Ohio FB Mike Marrow
The latest Class of 2009 prospect to be evaluated by Laschout.com is Toledo (Ohio) Central Catholic Fullback Mike Marrow. Marrow will be evaluated by Laschout contributors AIW-HS and fp.
Measurables: 6'2 240 lbs, 4.85 40 (self reported)
Offers: Marrow currently has 3 written offers. His offers are from Penn State, Toledo, and Nebraska. Marrow also claims interest from Notre Dame, Illinois, Pitt, Michigan State, and Ohio State.
Current Rankings: Marrow was 2nd team all conference last season as a RB after running for just over 800 yards and 10 TDs. He is currently not ranked by either major recruiting service.
Competition Level: Marrow played at New Albany (Ohio) High School last year but has transferred to Toledo Central Catholic for his senior year.
AIW-HS's Evaluation:
Upside: There aren't any clips of Marrow blocking unfortunately. But if you look at his running style you can tell that he is powerful and physical. The first tackler rarely brings him down. Marrow displays strength and aggression in the way he sheds would be tacklers. He appears to like contact and does not shy away from collisions. Marrow has the look of a prototypical Big 10 fullback in that he is big, strong, and physical. Based on his size and strength he should be useful in short yardage and goal line situations. Marrow's father was a NFL player and is a current assistant coach at the University of Toledo so he certainly comes from good bloodlines and knows how to play the game.
Downside: Marrow certainly won't be mistaken for a speedster. In fact it is painfully obvious that Marrow is fairly slow afoot on his videos. He is a fullback only in college. He does not have the foot speed to play in a single back set and he is too slow to be a LB. It is fullback of bust for him. Based on his limited video (in which Marrow doesn't block at all) he will have to learn the finer points of blocking. He most certainly is very "green" in the blocking arena. There are no clips at this time of Marrow catching any passes. As a fullback he will need to be able to catch the ball out of the backfield on occasion.
Final Analysis: By its very nature, the position of fullback is becoming more and more obsolete in college football. With the advent of spread offenses fullbacks in many cases just aren't utilized anymore. But there certainly are instances and situations where a good fullback is necessary. Penn State has traditionally used the fullback pretty extensively and even though they plan on implementing more of a spread offense the fullback will still be used in many offensive packages. PSU has not recruited a true fullback in four years (the last one being Dan Lawlor) so the Nittany Lions certainly have a need at the position. Marrow seems to be a fine candidate to fill that need. Penn State has 25+ scholarships to offer and with that big class I have no problem using one on a fullback. There aren't that many true fullbacks out there to choose from and while getting a commitment from a fullback isn't sexy, it is necessary. Marrow appears to be willing and able to play the position and he appears to hold Penn State in high esteem. Penn State as we all know has major, major issues across the board within the program. The need at fullback certainly is not near the top of that list of issues, but it is still an issue nonetheless. Securing a commitment from Mike Marrow would rectify Penn State's issue at fullback and should he choose to cast his lot with the Nittany Lions he would be a positive addition.
Fp's Evaluation:
Upside: From the clips available, Marrow appears to be a very strong runner and appears to be somewhat of a natural runner as well. He has nice vision and seems to hit the hole hard. He also does not shy away from contact. He is a true north/south runner which is especially important since Mr. Marrow is not blessed with a lot of foot speed. Marrow is blessed with some great size at 6-2 and 230 and shows the ability to make some natural cuts in the little open field he does get. He also is a load and tough to bring down with one tackler and if he is brought down with one tackler, he usually falls forward. There are also some clips of Marrow at the LB position where he seems to read and react fairly well but not enough to make a definitive evaluation. Lastly, Marrow comes from good bloodlines as his father has some professional experience and is a coach at the college level.
Downside: It is obvious from his film, that Marrow will not be breaking any long runs anytime soon. He simply is not blessed with great foot speed. Since he isn't blessed with great foot speed, Marrow's college position will most likely be fullback. As such, it is a bit worrisome that PSU has offered Marrow without evaluating his blocking abilities in some way. Another worrisome note, is the lack of receiving or open space running Marrow has. I didn't see any clips of Marrow catching a swing pass or even a screen pass or making some moves in the open field. These attributes are especially important for a PSU fullback since the fullback has been known to well...block and catch some passes. It also looks like Marrow could decrease his body fat percentage in which case it might give him some more foot speed.
Final Analysis: While checking the roster, it is painfully obvious that PSU needs another scholarship fullback, assuming Joe Suhey remains as a RB and doesn't eventually grow into a fullback. As such, I don't have a problem with the offer to Marrow but his lack of blocking experience gives me some reservations. Let's face it, at PSU, Marrow will do a lot more blocking than carrying the ball. If history is any indication, Marrow will also only be asked to carry the ball in short yardage situations. While Marrow has experience carrying the ball as a feature ball carrier, I hope he also has experience in putting his head down and getting the tough 1 and 2 yard gains for first downs. Athletic fullbacks aren't exactly a huge need in today's game but I think Marrow is probably as good a fullback prospect as you can find in our recruiting area. As such, I don't have a problem with the offer to Marrow. If he chooses to come to PSU, I think he can expect to receive playing time fairly early on, due to the lack of depth at fullback. Marrow is fortunate that he is already blessed with great size and essentially all he needs to do is to continue to work hard and improve. He is far from a finished product but a product I think PSU could use going forward.
Measurables: 6'2 240 lbs, 4.85 40 (self reported)
Offers: Marrow currently has 3 written offers. His offers are from Penn State, Toledo, and Nebraska. Marrow also claims interest from Notre Dame, Illinois, Pitt, Michigan State, and Ohio State.
Current Rankings: Marrow was 2nd team all conference last season as a RB after running for just over 800 yards and 10 TDs. He is currently not ranked by either major recruiting service.
Competition Level: Marrow played at New Albany (Ohio) High School last year but has transferred to Toledo Central Catholic for his senior year.
AIW-HS's Evaluation:
Upside: There aren't any clips of Marrow blocking unfortunately. But if you look at his running style you can tell that he is powerful and physical. The first tackler rarely brings him down. Marrow displays strength and aggression in the way he sheds would be tacklers. He appears to like contact and does not shy away from collisions. Marrow has the look of a prototypical Big 10 fullback in that he is big, strong, and physical. Based on his size and strength he should be useful in short yardage and goal line situations. Marrow's father was a NFL player and is a current assistant coach at the University of Toledo so he certainly comes from good bloodlines and knows how to play the game.
Downside: Marrow certainly won't be mistaken for a speedster. In fact it is painfully obvious that Marrow is fairly slow afoot on his videos. He is a fullback only in college. He does not have the foot speed to play in a single back set and he is too slow to be a LB. It is fullback of bust for him. Based on his limited video (in which Marrow doesn't block at all) he will have to learn the finer points of blocking. He most certainly is very "green" in the blocking arena. There are no clips at this time of Marrow catching any passes. As a fullback he will need to be able to catch the ball out of the backfield on occasion.
Final Analysis: By its very nature, the position of fullback is becoming more and more obsolete in college football. With the advent of spread offenses fullbacks in many cases just aren't utilized anymore. But there certainly are instances and situations where a good fullback is necessary. Penn State has traditionally used the fullback pretty extensively and even though they plan on implementing more of a spread offense the fullback will still be used in many offensive packages. PSU has not recruited a true fullback in four years (the last one being Dan Lawlor) so the Nittany Lions certainly have a need at the position. Marrow seems to be a fine candidate to fill that need. Penn State has 25+ scholarships to offer and with that big class I have no problem using one on a fullback. There aren't that many true fullbacks out there to choose from and while getting a commitment from a fullback isn't sexy, it is necessary. Marrow appears to be willing and able to play the position and he appears to hold Penn State in high esteem. Penn State as we all know has major, major issues across the board within the program. The need at fullback certainly is not near the top of that list of issues, but it is still an issue nonetheless. Securing a commitment from Mike Marrow would rectify Penn State's issue at fullback and should he choose to cast his lot with the Nittany Lions he would be a positive addition.
Fp's Evaluation:
Upside: From the clips available, Marrow appears to be a very strong runner and appears to be somewhat of a natural runner as well. He has nice vision and seems to hit the hole hard. He also does not shy away from contact. He is a true north/south runner which is especially important since Mr. Marrow is not blessed with a lot of foot speed. Marrow is blessed with some great size at 6-2 and 230 and shows the ability to make some natural cuts in the little open field he does get. He also is a load and tough to bring down with one tackler and if he is brought down with one tackler, he usually falls forward. There are also some clips of Marrow at the LB position where he seems to read and react fairly well but not enough to make a definitive evaluation. Lastly, Marrow comes from good bloodlines as his father has some professional experience and is a coach at the college level.
Downside: It is obvious from his film, that Marrow will not be breaking any long runs anytime soon. He simply is not blessed with great foot speed. Since he isn't blessed with great foot speed, Marrow's college position will most likely be fullback. As such, it is a bit worrisome that PSU has offered Marrow without evaluating his blocking abilities in some way. Another worrisome note, is the lack of receiving or open space running Marrow has. I didn't see any clips of Marrow catching a swing pass or even a screen pass or making some moves in the open field. These attributes are especially important for a PSU fullback since the fullback has been known to well...block and catch some passes. It also looks like Marrow could decrease his body fat percentage in which case it might give him some more foot speed.
Final Analysis: While checking the roster, it is painfully obvious that PSU needs another scholarship fullback, assuming Joe Suhey remains as a RB and doesn't eventually grow into a fullback. As such, I don't have a problem with the offer to Marrow but his lack of blocking experience gives me some reservations. Let's face it, at PSU, Marrow will do a lot more blocking than carrying the ball. If history is any indication, Marrow will also only be asked to carry the ball in short yardage situations. While Marrow has experience carrying the ball as a feature ball carrier, I hope he also has experience in putting his head down and getting the tough 1 and 2 yard gains for first downs. Athletic fullbacks aren't exactly a huge need in today's game but I think Marrow is probably as good a fullback prospect as you can find in our recruiting area. As such, I don't have a problem with the offer to Marrow. If he chooses to come to PSU, I think he can expect to receive playing time fairly early on, due to the lack of depth at fullback. Marrow is fortunate that he is already blessed with great size and essentially all he needs to do is to continue to work hard and improve. He is far from a finished product but a product I think PSU could use going forward.
Marrow isn't sexy, but I like the offer. He's tough, and I think as the spring moves into summer, Marrow will garner more and more offers.
He is a football player, and every team needs these types of players. Hopefully we can get to see some film clips of him blocking, and I wonder if his team will use him in the passing game.
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Fp, I fine your evaluation odd. You say PSU has not evaluated his blocking skills in some way. How do you know this???
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Jayer,
To my knowledge, PSU has not seen Marrow block. Not on film and not at camp.
I don't think it is a big deal per se (I doubt the coaches saw Matt Hahn block any either) but I'd like to see a kid up close in some capacity to better determine if the kid has the mentality and ability to block.
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good post and i like that you did marrow since he is an option to verbal early - it is also nice you are targeting non-stars for some of these reports
I'm all for marrow - all signs indicate to being physical, hard working, and not a bad ass...PSU is in need of some guys like this - hope we get him
here is an idea though for a future posting - the needs of PSU in recruiting this year - you know, like on a scale of 1-10, gettin a QB this year is a 10, getting a LB is a 2...be nice to see something on that
but good job and keep up the reports - i think everyone enjoys them
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Great job. I like the offer to Marrow. But since it is pretty clear if he chooses Penn State he isn't playing LB is he really limited to FB? You guys don't see the possibility of him being able to outgrow the position and end up with his hand on the ground...DE?
If he commits to Penn State and is 6'3-ish and gets up to 250-265 I could see him in the mold of a Josh Gaines...certainly not going to threaten the QB much but he would be stout and aggressive out there. Anyway, not likely to happen. But if he commits to Penn State I really like him as a FB...at the worst we'll have him leading Beachum into a hole and at best he will be versatile [ie pass catcher, runner with quicker feet once he gets into better shape, blocker].
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blah,
Could he eventually become a DE? Sure. Would be be effective as a DE? I doubt it. Give his build, I'd put my money on him eating his way into a DT before he would ever become an effective DE.
I think Stern said it best, it is fullback or bust for him.
Perhaps he could play MLB or probably more accurately, back-up someone at MLB.
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Is there any inside info from spring practice so far.
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We are working on some things right now.
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FP,
IYHO, will there ever be another Aaron Harris at PSU?
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NO
To be fair fb is a old school position at this point and besides goaline or short yardage is a very minor role.
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I wouldnt look at marrow much, we have a local, Rob Stupar that is a good blocker and catches well. Right here in state college, his brother being linebacker Nathan Stupar. And the stupars seem to be safe picks with a history with no off the field problems
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