LATEST UPDATE: Florida Gators receive boost as CB Jason Marshall Jr. is set to return for Senior Campaign

Jason Marshall Jr. is returning to Florida for a senior season and his third as a full-time starter in the Gators’ secondary.

Born and raised in Miami, Florida, Marshall was a highly sought-after recruit in the 2021 Gators recruiting class, having been selected as a five-star prospect by former head coach Dan Mullen. Since his rookie year in 2021, Marshall has started 32 games at cornerback for Florida, totaling 38 appearances.

Marshall has totaled 78 tackles thus far, with six of those being for loss, one sack, two interceptions, and 23 pass breakups. Throughout his career, he has only allowed 58 receptions out of 124 targets, according to Pro Football Focus, yielding a completion rate of 46.8% given up in coverage.

Marshall recorded a career-high 10 pass breakups in a single season in 2023, but PFF penalized him for regularly giving up huge plays to rival receivers in his junior year, allowing 24.2 yards per reception on average.

Prior to his statement on Wednesday, Marshall was thought to be a possible contender to declare for the 2024 NFL Draft because of his extensive experience and consistently strong performance at Florida.

In addition to being a seasoned player, Marshall returns as a senior leader for the secondary under new defensive backs coach Will Harris of the Gators. This unit is expected to rely heavily on its youth and the aid of transfers in 2024 after former starters Jaydon Hill, Miguel Mitchell, and Jalen Kimber left for the NCAA transfer portal this postseason.

Jordan Castell, a rising sophomore safety who was named to the Coaches Freshmen All-SEC team in 2023 for his rookie play, will be joining Marshall in the leadership ranks of the team.