Fall camp is just a few days away, which means its time to start focusing on the 2017 season. Today, Herdnation.com brings you five newcomers to keep an eye on as practice begins inside Joan C. Edwards Stadium.
Trevaughn Rodriguez/Tyler King - After a terribly disappointing 2016 season in regards to Marshall's rushing attack, Doc Holliday and his staff made retooling the running backs' room a priority. Enter JUCO running back Trey Rodriguez and 2016 signee Tyler King.
With the lack of explosiveness (3.3 yards/carry and two rushes of 30 or more yards) being clear, Marshall went out and signed Rodriguez from Arizona Western Community College where he rushed for 944 yards and 16 touchdowns on 194 carries. With most JUCO recruits, there's always a concern of how well their game with translate to the DI level. With Rodriguez there's no real concern, because he's already displayed that he's a C-USA caliber running back during his time at Florida Atlantic. Prior to his departure, Rodriguez was believed to be the best option in the backfield for the Owls. Let's just hope the same can be said in Huntington starting this fall.
Rodriguez isn't the only player looking to impact the Herd's "home run" ability from the backfield. 2016 signee, Tyler King, possesses the speed and play-making ability that Herd fans became used to in past years. King used his year on campus to get into tremendous shape by adding weight (190+) and faster according to social media. Holliday and company haven't been shy about their opinions of the talented freshman, referring to him as an "SEC-type running back." Time will tell if they're right.
Jaquan Yulee - It's been 536 days since Yulee signed his letter of intent to Marshall University and Herd Nation has been waiting on edge ever since to see him on the field. Yulee is the type of player that thrives on competition and possesses the "swag" that the Thundering Herd was severely missing in 2016. Like King, Yulee utilized his year on campus to get himself into terrific shape. At 245 pounds, Yulee is athletic enough to play sideline-to-sideline while manning the middle of the defense. Although Yulee has a steep climb ahead of him, due to the depth in the linebacker room, he could be the most impactful freshman Marshall has seen on the defensive side of the ball in quite sometime. If Yulee lives up to his billing, his impact could be felt for years at Marshall.
Chad Clay - The former 2016 three-star originally signed with Georgia before leaving school prior to his freshman season. After leaving Athens, Clay enrolled at Butler Community College where he red-shirted in 2016. Clay is a big, physical corner that uses his size to manipulate receivers off their routes. Marshall looks to have a pretty solid duo in the starting lineup with red-shirt senior Rodney Allen and rising sophomore Chris Jackson, but if there's something we learned from 2016, it's that depth is key. Clay will battle with Kereon Merrell, Jaylon Sapp, and Jestin Morrow for a spot in the rotation. Clay could man the field or boundary corner position with his skill set.
Cole Phillips - Seldom do you see the keys of the kingdom being given to a true freshman in college, but with Cole Phillips, I don't think Holliday has another choice. Following 2016's dismal performance by place kickers (4/10 field goals) and Phillips' impressive resume, don't be surprised if he's given the kicking duties on September 2nd. After an impressive senior season for Cairo High School in Cairo, Georgia, Phillips was named to the Parade All-American team. Phillips possesses incredible leg strength and a level of moxie I don't think we've ever seen in a kicker. If Marshall is to turn things around in 2017, they'll need to start with the kicking game and I look for Phillips to do so. For that reason, I think he'll be the most impactful newcomer in 2017.
