South Carolina coach Shane Beamer and new quarterbacks coach Kendal Briles want to add another quarterback to the 2026 roster. Will LaNorris Sellers cemented as the starter, finding a candidate from the Transfer Portal would not be easy. And most, if not all, high-level high school quarterbacks have already signed.
So, the next best place to look was the junior college ranks. And they found the guy they really like in Malachi Marshall (6-2 170), South Pointe product who just finished up an All-American season at Iowa Western by winning the Junior College National Championship and being named the National Offensive Player of the Year.
“I played in front of Coach Beamer a few times in his seven-on-seven program,” Marshall said. “He’s not unfamiliar with me. I believe one of his personnel guys showed him my film, and he remembered me, and that was that.”
And that led to a visit to Columbia last Friday, where Marshall got the chance to meet with Beamer and Briles.
“Previously, I had conversations with Coach Briles and some of the staff members before I got up there, and then when I got up there, it was everything I expected,” Marshall said. “I’d already been to South Carolina a few times, so a lot of stuff wasn’t new to me, but it was great getting to see the place again, and meeting anybody who was new there on the staff, and also getting down to the lower-level personnel, getting to introduce myself to them and try to build relationships. It was a great visit, in my opinion.”
Marshall said he and Briles talked the Xs and Os of quarterbacking in his offense. He came away confident that he is the right fit.
“He sees a lot of my game in the way he plays offense,” Marshall said. “He feels like my arm speaks for itself. I can make any throw on the field, so he’s very confident in my ability to make throws. The big thing for me was getting my body in position to play SEC football. He said he liked everything I put on tape, and everything will translate to the offense he runs.”
So, the opportunity to come to South Carolina starting this summer and play in the SEC is big for Marshall, even if he knows he wouldn’t see the field in a meaningful way until 2027.
“LaNorris is the starter. That’s definitely the clear picture, Marshall said. “For me, it was the opportunity to get on that stage. That’s first things first. But they want me to come in and complete and elevate the room, and don’t just give in to just being a name on the roster. They want me to push everybody.”
Beamer and Briles didn’t attempt to pull the wool over Marshall’s eyes and sell him on the idea of competing for the job this season. But they did have a plan for him.
“Basically, the plan is to use my redshirt year, and then I’ll have two remaining years,” Marshall said. “I’m a competitor at heart, but at the same time, I see the world for what it is. I know what type of player LaNorris is. I know how much he means to the university. Obviously, there would be no way for me to step into a role that he’s already carved out for himself. In life, sometimes you have to wait your turn. I know that. I wouldn’t be mad to wait my turn.”
Marshall is not ready, however, to make the Gamecocks his choice. He will visit Florida State this coming weekend. He will then visit Marshall on January 20th and Kent State three days later. After that, he’ll be ready to make his decision.
Marshall is not returning to Council Bluffs, IA. He will finish his junior college academy work online, graduate in late spring, and then enroll in school for the first summer session.
This season, Marshall passed for 2750 yards and 33 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. He completed 63% of his pass attempts.