Terrace Marshall, star LSU wide receiver, decides to opt out the rest of the season: source

Photo By: LSU/SEC

11/29/2020
Article courtesy of The Advocate
By: Brooks Kubena


    LSU's troubled offense just lost its best offensive player.
Star wide receiver Terrace Marshall has decided to opt out the rest of the season, a source confirmed with The Advocate, a decision made a day after LSU's offense was nearly shut out in a 20-7 loss at Texas A&M.
The news was first reported by ESPN 104.5's Jordy Culotta.
The NCAA ruled that any player could opt out of the season due to the coronavirus pandemic, and Marshall's decision signals the end of his career in Baton Rouge. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound junior is expected to enter the NFL draft and is predicted to be selected in the early rounds.
Marshall, who has not made an official announcement yet on his future, would be in the same draft class as former teammate Ja'Marr Chase, LSU's 2019 Biletnikoff Award winner, who opted out before the season began.
Marshall's departure is a surprising development, news that came less than two weeks after Marshall gave a speech in a players-only meeting to bring the team together before its 27-24 win at Arkansas. He had become a leader by example and was starting to use his voice.

Orgeron used Marshall as an example in a weekly news conference as a player with high NFL draft stock who was in a position to help right the ship in a rocky season.
"They want to win," Orgeron said before the Arkansas game. "They want to go out and win, and they represent the purple and gold. And they don't like the results on the field either. But you know what? A lot of them got a lot of things to prove on the field to go into the NFL, and put it on tape."

LSU's offense has been spotty against Arkansas and Texas A&M, but Marshall was at the center of the team's limited success. He led the team in receptions in both games and totaled 17 catches for 191 yards and a touchdown.
Marshall, a former five-star recruit from Parkway High, is expected to finish his final season in Baton Rouge with 48 catches, 731 yards and 10 touchdowns. He'd finish his career with 106 catches, 1,594 yards and 23 touchdowns. The touchdown total ties Marshall with Chase for fourth all-time in LSU history.