CB Devon Marshall still wears chip on his shoulder, ready to ‘prove people wrong’ as full-time starter

By Noah Fleischman

Devon Marshall is used to feeling underappreciated. When Power Conference programs roamed the halls of Boston (Mass.) Catholic Memorial High, he was usually overlooked. Instead, the No. 1,132 overall prospect in the 2022 class landed in the FCS ranks at Villanova. 

He felt slighted by bigger programs not giving him a chance, but Marshall decided to use it as fuel. It didn’t matter that he was among the Wildcats’ top cornerbacks with 11 passes defended as a sophomore; he felt like he had more to prove. 

And when Marshall arrived at NC State through the transfer portal ahead of last season, his mindset didn’t change. He knew he belonged at the ACC level, but by starting the season as a reserve cornerback, Marshall’s desire to prove others wrong continued. 

By the time he had an opportunity to rise to the occasion while filling in for an injured Brandon Cisse against Louisiana Tech last fall, Marshall felt as if he was turning the tide. He did more than just fill the shoes of NC State’s top outside cornerback, but he showed why he belonged at the FBS level. 

But even though Marshall, who started five games for the Wolfpack last fall, entered fall camp as a favorite to win one of the top two cornerback spots this season, he is still approaching it like he’s at the bottom of the depth chart. 

After all, he doesn’t know any other way.

“I’ve had a chip on my shoulder my whole life,” Marshall said after practice Tuesday afternoon. “I’ve always been under-recruited, always been doubted, and I’ve always had to prove people wrong. It’s no different this season. I’ve always been able to prove people wrong. I’m excited for this season.”

Marshall’s first season at NC State helped prove why he was one of the program’s most underrated transfer portal additions in the 2024 cycle. He logged 33 total tackles, including 0.5 for a loss, with a forced fumble, pair of interceptions and a team-best 9 passes defended. 

The Boston native also allowed just a 52 percent completion rate on 50 targets as one of the more highly targeted cornerbacks the Wolfpack had a year ago, according to Pro Football Focus. Despite being a common defender for opposing quarterbacks looking to exploit him, Marshall was able to rise to the challenge to reduce explosive plays, allowing just 5.1 yards after the catch. 

It was a trial by fire in his 12 appearances, but Marshall felt like he became accustomed to what playing in the ACC was like. He spent this past offseason studying every play that he was beaten on, looking to find ways to correct those mistakes this fall. While doing so, Marshall proved to be one of the Wolfpack’s more-explosive players with a 4.41 40-yard dash to go with the team’s second-longest broad jump (10-foot-5) and the third-best vertical jump (39.1 inches).

The defensive back knows he has big shoes to fill as NC State will replace all of its starting secondary from last season’s opener, but Marshall is ready. Not only has he made strides in his pass defense, but he also has grown as a leader. He’s the veteran of the room, and with that comes more responsibility. 

“As soon as last season ended, I was put in a whole new role to lead this group,” Marshall said. “It’s been fun. I feel like I’ve been doing my job to try to get the secondary together and come closer. It’s working. I feel like we’re a good group.”

If you ask him, he’s more of a passive leader, not getting in his teammates’ faces. But if you ask sophomore wide receiver Keenan Jackson, whose locker is directly across from Marshall’s inside the Murphy Center, the cornerback has grown immensely in that department.

“He’s just that dude in that room,” Jackson said with a grin. “He started the year last year as the backup, so just seeing him command the starting role and just pushing the guys — he’s not the most vocal leader, but I know he’s vocal with those guys.”

As Marshall has taken the wheel of NC State’s cornerback room, he’s joined by North Texas transfer Brian Nelson II and Temple transfer Jamel Johnson in competing for the outside cornerback positions. At nickel, meanwhile, redshirt junior Jackson Vick and Missouri transfer Jaren Sensabaugh are battling to start on the inside of the Wolfpack defense. 

Marshall, in a way, embodies everything NC State’s cornerback room is all about. Both Nelson and Johnson have similar stories of being overlooked and outperforming expectations at smaller programs. The two combined for 6 interceptions and 18 passes defended with their respective teams a year ago. 

Now, the room is looking to use that motivation to help pace the Wolfpack’s pass defense to the top of the ACC this fall. 

“I feel like we’re all ball hawks,” Marshall said. “We have a chip on our shoulder, and a whole lot to prove. People are doubting us, and they shouldn’t. We’re going to show them.”