COLUMBUS,

Ohio – Ohio State recruited two quarterbacks in its freshman class. The Buckeyes just happened to put one at receiver.

“I love quarterbacks that switch to receiver,”

OSU

receivers coach Zach Smith said. “Because when you recruit a quarterback in high school that has that talent to play at receiver, you're getting a guy that has some intangible qualities as the leader of his offense in high school. His high school coach said, 'This is my best player, I want him to touch it every play.'”

Jalin Marshall's high school coach at Middletown High School, Troy Everhart, thought that then and still thinks that way. He told The Plain Dealer before National Signing Day that he'd put Marshall at quarterback in college as well.

For a while, Marshall admitted this week, he thought the same thing. Stick at quarterback. The Buckeyes are glad they could get him to agree to the switch to come to Columbus. But they don't want him to lose everything that made him a great high school quarterback.

“We understand coverages and stuff like that,” Marshall said of quarterbacks who make the switch. “And we understand what we need to do to get open.”

Ohio State freshman Jalin Marshall

Once he figures out how to get open in college, he can try to be a quarterback in the receivers room.

“Once I learn everything and learn what I need to do and get better, I can help others around me,” Marshall said.

After his summer work in the

OSU

strength program, the 6-foot, 190-pound Marshall has developed a body that looks ready to withstand college football hits. But he's also missed some practice time after suffering a concussion. He said he previously suffered a concussion at the end of one of his high school seasons.

Marshall said Sunday that he expected to return to practice this week, and a team spokesman said Marshall has been practicing this week, but not taking part in any contact. As the Buckeyes worked through nine practices this week during two-a-days, that will put him a little behind his teammates. But he seems to be the type of player who can make it up.

“He's a smart kid, really smart kid,” Smith said.

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That meant that teaching Marshall some of the more refined parts of playing receiver weren't a big deal. Marshall said all the freshmen needed to work on technique, so he didn't feel like he needed that much extra help. If he did, Smith wouldn’t mind.

“There are some rough fundamental issues, just in that he hasn't been in a stance and hasn't been catching slant routes his whole career,” Smith said. “But the intangible value of a kid like Jalin Marshall far outweighs any deficiencies in getting in a receiver stance. That's my job. I'll get him in a receiver stance. He'll learn to run slant routes. The intangibles he brings are what really makes a guy like that attractive to us.”

Marshall could play outside at receiver or in the H-back slot role for the Buckeyes. He could always be an interesting option to throw the ball off a backward pass or an option pitch sometime.

His quarterback days are behind him, though. But those days helped make him who he is. He made his first switch to receiver during postseason high school all-star games, but just wait until he's played receiver for more than a few months.

“I'm still learning different things,” Marshall said. “I'm thinking too much and not playing fast. But with time, it'll come.”