Outback Bowl 2015: Auburn vs. Wisconsin

Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall warms up before the Outback Bowl Thursday, Jan. 1, 2015, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)

AUBURN, Alabama -- One of the most electric SEC quarterbacks in the the last two years is sitting at home.



Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall has not yet received an invitation to a high-profile all-star game, including the Senior Bowl, and time is running out. The slate of games featuring seniors kick off today with the Medal of Honor Bowl and ends Jan. 24.



Four all-star games have invited nine Auburn players, but the catalyst to Auburn's success in 2013 and 2014 has not yet heard from the biggest game of all: the Reese's Senior Bowl.



The Medal of Honor Bowl reached out to Marshall, but the Auburn quarterback "was very up in the air" about the possibility of playing in the game, said Austin Atkinson, deputy director of player personnel for the game. Marshall was expecting an invite to the Senior Bowl in Mobile after Alabama's Blake Sims garnered an offer at the time, Atkinson said.



"That's the case where the kid holds out too long and he might miss out on the all-star cycle because he waited too long," Atkinson surmised.



It's still possible Marshall could land in the Senior Bowl. The premier all-star game has invited six quarterbacks, but only four have agreed to appear as of Saturday. Marshall is considered an alternate, but he could get a call next week if the remaining invitations are not accepted -- or if players drop out of the game. Senior Bowl officials are not commenting on the possibility.

Marshall exits his short Auburn career in the top 10 of eight categories in Auburn's record book. He shattered the school's single-game record for passing yards (456) and total yards (505), too, against Alabama.

"As far as the legacy, statistically, he's one of the best to ever come through here," Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said before the record-breaking performance in the Iron Bowl.



The issue is Marshall's future. Many scouts believe Marshall will play defensive back or receiver in the NFL, and the question is whether he should play quarterback or defensive back in an all-star game. Marshall hasn't played a position outside quarterback since his freshman season at Georgia in 2011, when he played as a cornerback.



"He's a hell of an athlete," said Tony Softli, director of college recruiting for the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl. "I would stick him at QB. I would ask him what position do you want to play, what position do you see yourself playing realistically in the National Football League?"



The NFLPA, however, has not extended an invitation to Marshall. Its all-star game kicks off Jan. 17.



"We like Nick," Softli said. "We've watched him play the last couple of years. Not that we didn't like Nick, it's that we're full."

The East-West Shrine Game expressed interest in Marshall, but at the time it appeared the Auburn quarterback was in line to receive an invitation from the Senior Bowl.



Twenty-three quarterbacks have accepted invites in the four all-star games. Three senior SEC quarterbacks -- Georgia's Hutson Mason, South Carolina's Dylan Thompson and Alabama's Blake Sims -- are set to appear, leaving only Marshall and Ole Miss' Bo Wallace without a spot on a roster. Wallace declined an invitation from the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl due to an ankle injury, according to the Clarion-Ledger.



The Senior Bowl is the crown jewel among the all-star games. It's the game players want to play in because most NFL scouts, general managers and coaches converge on Mobile to evaluate talent and interview players. It's a chance to make a first impression and change perceptions. Auburn defensive end Dee Ford skyrocketed on draft boards following a productive week in 2014 and was picked in the first round of the NFL Draft. The other three games have grown in that regard, but the bowls do not match the visibility -- and desirability -- of the Senior Bowl.



The Medal of Honor Bowl enters its second year of existence Saturday and is expected to host five general managers and 120-plus scouts. The Senior Bowl's history and stature leaves the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, East-West Shrine Game and Medal of Honor Bowl fighting over the rest of the talent across the country. The all-star game reps rarely communicate with their competitors.







