The Sports Xchange

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Few players in the NFL face longer odds of making a roster than Nick Marshall does with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Marshall put together two sterling seasons as Auburn’s starting quarterback. He passed for 4,508 yards and 34 touchdowns and added another 1,886 yards and 23 scores on the ground. As a junior, he led the Tigers to the BCS title game after the 2013 season, and Auburn almost knocked off undefeated and top-ranked Florida State in the championship game.

However, prior to the 2015 draft, Marshall announced that he was forgoing plans to play quarterback in the NFL, opting instead to try his hand as a cornerback. He is inexperienced at the position, so all 32 teams backed away from Marshall, who went undrafted.

When the Jaguars saw that he was available after the draft, they put in the first phone call to him. Marshall didn’t wait for other offers. He knew the Jaguars’ coaching staff from the Senior Bowl and accepted their offer to come in as an undrafted rookie. He has turned heads since he arrived.

The second day of training camp, he intercepted a Stephen Morris pass and returned it 40 yards for a touchdown. In Saturday’s scrimmage, he saw time with the No. 2 defensive unit and nearly came away with an interception on the last play of the game. Most important, he has a supporter in head coach Gus Bradley.

“(Nick) has great poise and is a really strong competitor,” Bradley said. “His speed and instincts are really showing up. I really like him now. He’s got a chance (of making the 53-man roster).”