Nebraska football defensive back Andrew Marshall is fitting in well with his new team.
“It’s been smooth for me, I can say that they’ve definitely taken me in,” Marshall said. “I’m very appreciative. From the staff to the players to even the community, they’ve been very welcoming, so it’s been a very easy transition.”
Before transferring to Nebraska in 2025, the junior played two seasons in the FCS at Idaho, where he was a defensive back and spent time on special teams. During his sophomore campaign with the Vandals, he made 13 starts, had 50 tackles, one tackle for loss, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and three pass break ups. He was a terrific returner with 14 punt returns for 150 yards and one touchdown while also returning eight kickoffs for 327 yards and one house call.
Marshall wants to help the Huskers achieve their goals in year three of the Matt Rhule era, and that along with the support from his coaches at Idaho drove him to join the Big Red.
“As far as me coming in, making an effect on the defense, everything was just aligned, as well as my coaching staff from my old school just recommending Nebraska, just putting it in my view,” Marshall said. “So just all that included, I just felt like it was a nice place for me.”
According to Rhule, Marshall’s hard work and skill has impressed him through the first two weeks of camp.
“I’ll say this about Marshall, I don’t get asked a lot of questions about this guy, but this guy is about as professional as can be,” Rhule said. “He practices, behaves like a pro. He doesn’t say a lot. He’s a really good football player. He’s going to play really well for us. I respect the heck out of him as just the competitor, professional that he is.”
Marshall learned at a young age the importance of integrity and professionalism. He credits his family for teaching him these values.
“It started at home, really, with my parents. Just however I attack things, I just like to keep a level of professionalism to it,” Marshall said. “You never want to have a certain image to you. You always want to stay professional in settings like this. So I just take pride in always trying to be professional wherever I am.”
One change that Marshall will see after joining Nebraska is the amount of talent in the conference. The FCS has produced some elite NFL players such as Cooper Kupp, who spent his college career at Eastern Washington and won Super Bowl LVI with the Los Angeles Rams in 2022. However, the Big Ten is loaded with first-round draft picks and prospects throughout the entire division. Marshall said he’s excited to play with football players of this caliber.
“The consistent NFL talent, and just everybody here is one mind, one goal,” Marshall said. “We’re all trying to get to the same spot, so just on a day-to-day basis having that, everybody is competing. We all want to go to that high-level spot, so just that level of competition on a day-to-day basis.”
Senior defensive back Ceyair Wright and Marshall both grew up in California and both transferred to Nebraska. Wright came to the Huskers from USC last year and is mentoring Marshall throughout his transition as the two of them look to lock up the starting cornerback positions at Nebraska. Marshall said that receiving advice from Wright has helped him a lot.
“When I came on my official visit, I talked to him, and just really seeing his input on things and then when I came and ended up committing, he was the first guy I went to,” Marshall said. “He’s been very, very helpful to me, just guiding me through. Any questions I’ve had, I went to him, and he’s been very helpful.”
Going into the 2025 season, Marshall believes that the defense is in good shape. The team’s speed and flexibility have impressed him thus far.
“We’re very versatile, we’re very fast, we’re a very fast-paced defense, very smart, which allows us to play many different coverages and do a lot of shifts and disguises, which is required for a defense,” Marshall said. “So we’re all very versatile, we can move all around the field, we’re a very smart defense.”
Although Marshall wasn’t recruited by any Division I programs coming out of high school, he is ready to showcase his talent for Nebraska. Whether it’s on defense or participating on special team’s, he’s ready to do whatever he can to help Nebraska win.
“For me, it’s just a constant chip on my shoulder, just that I belong here in the first place,” Marshall said. “Now I’m at that level, and I’m here to prove what I already know is true.”
