Three-star CB makes it official

Wake Forest picked up a big commitment earlier today. The talented cornerback prospect gave his word to Jim Grobe while on a visit to campus.

"I committed around 12:50 or so," Durham (N.C.) Southern Durham cornerback A.J. Marshall said. "I told Jim Grobe. He was very excited. He was overwhelmed and happy. I was there in his office with my mother and father. He was talking to me about coming to Wake Forest and his philosophy. It was just the right moment.

"I'm so excited. I'm happy to be part of the Demon Deacon family. After I committed, I went with Coach Billings to watch some film to see the type of coverages they run."

The three-star prospect had been leaning towards Wake Forest for weeks. What made him decide?

"I mean, it's the education and the whole family environment. It sells itself," he said. "Outside of football, they have a great family environment. You can have a relationship with the coaches and talk about issues and family problems. They care a lot about family at Wake Forest. Every Sunday they take the day off and tell you to call your family and tell them you love them. That really shows how they care about you other than football. Plus, they want to make better men and mold them into better men.

"With football, their success is big too. They've gone to three consecutive bowl games and lost a lot in the secondary. A lot of it has gone to the NFL. Also, their uniforms are sick and the defense is electrifying. They were ranked in the nation last year in takeaways."

One coach was big in Marshall's choice as well.

"Coach Russ was important," he said. "He did such a good job recruiting me and stayed on me. I can see myself living under him, Coach Grobe and Coach Billings and benefiting from what they can teach me."

Wake Forest sees Marshall as a similar player to starter Brandon Ghee.

"They see me as a playmaker and try to compare me to Brandon Ghee," he said. "I have no problem with that. I've got to meet him and he's a great person, but I want to build a name for myself.

"They told me if I'm ready they will play me as a freshman, but I have no problem redshirting at all and getting an extra year of eligibility."