Marshall Named to Jason Witten Man of the Year Watch List

UCF senior Marcellus Marshall has been tabbed to the eighth annual Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Watch List, the organization announced Thursday.

The award is presented annually to student-athletes that demonstrate a record of leadership by exhibiting exceptional courage, integrity and sportsmanship both on and off the field.

Marshall has started all three games for the Knights this season at right guard and has led a stellar offensive line unit that has paved the way for the nation’s No. 1 rushing offense. UCF has rushed for 375.7 rushing yards per game and has compiled 570.7 yards of total offense per game, the only team in the Big 12 averaging better than 500.

Voted a team captain prior to the season, Marshall is a vocal team leader and has also displayed his leadership in the community. Most recently, he was heavily involved in UCF’s Childhood Cancer Awareness Game, interacting with the patients and helping them design the helmet decals that wore worn against Sam Houston.

 

Twenty semifinalists will be announced on Oct. 22. Three finalists will be named for the award on Monday, December 16. The winner will be announced at the award ceremony at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on February 12, 2025.

Last year, Mike Hollins of Virginia won the seventh annual award. The first six Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year awards were presented to Shaquem Griffin of UCF in 2017, D’Cota Dixon of Wisconsin in 2018, Trey Smith of Tennessee in 2019, Sam Ehlinger of Texas in 2020, Joshua Paschal of Kentucky in 2021 and Deslin Alexandre of Pittsburgh in 2022.

The award, presented by Albertsons and Tom Thumb, is the first college football honor to focus primarily on a player’s leadership, both on and off the field. Leadership is a term synonymous with Jason Witten, who, in addition to becoming one of the best tight ends in the history of the sport, served as one of football’s most prominent role models during his 16-year pro career. In addition to winning the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award in 2012, Witten also received the Bart Starr Award, Pro Football Weekly’s Humanitarian of the Year Award, Home Depot NFL Neighborhood MVP and the Bob Lilly Award, among many others. All of those honors have recognized his work in the community, achievements on the field and dedication to his teammates and family.

The winner of the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year will also receive a $10,000 contribution in his name to his school’s athletic scholarship fund. The contribution will be made by Jason Witten’s SCORE Foundation, the official charity of Jason and his wife Michelle. The SCORE Foundation, founded in 2007, has positively impacted tens of thousands of children and families in Texas and Tennessee over the last 16 years. The foundation operates its nationally-recognized SCOREkeepers program, which places trained male mentors on staff to work with children at family violence shelters, at nine shelters in the two states.