James Madison signs former Georgia Tech RB Marshall
(STATS) - Former Georgia Tech running back Marcus Marshall is transferring to James Madison, where his father is the school's all-time leading rusher.
JMU coach Mike Houston announced the signing for the 2017 season on Thursday. Marshall appears to be an ideal replacement for senior running back Khalid Abdullah, who will end his Dukes career in the FCS national championship game against Youngstown State on Jan. 7.
Marshall will enroll at JMU next month, be eligible immediately and have two years of playing time remaining.
He was Georgia Tech's leading rusher in each of the last two seasons, averaging over seven yards per carry while gaining 1,278 yards and eight touchdowns over 22 games, including nine starts.
JMU was one of Marshall's final three choices coming out of high school in Raleigh, North Carolina - Wake Forest was the other. He is the son of Dukes Hall of Famer Warren Marshall, the school's all-time leader with 4,168 rushing yards and 737 carries.
While the Dukes will lose Abdullah, their strong rushing attack will return Cardon Johnson, Trai Sharp and Taylor Woods. The CAA Football champions have a 13-1 record heading into the FCS championship game.