Former Middletown and Ohio State football standout re-signs with Canadian Football League team

Jalin Marshall, who played at Middletown High School and Ohio State, has re-signed with a Canadian Football League team. He left OSU after two seasons and went undrafted in the NFL. David Jablonski/Staff

Jalin Marshall, who played at Middletown High School and Ohio State, has re-signed with a Canadian Football League team. He left OSU after two seasons and went undrafted in the NFL. David Jablonski/Staff

A former Middletown High School and Ohio State standout who spent time in the NFL has re-signed with a Canadian football team, it was announced this week.

Jalin Marshall, 25, re-signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League. He was one of three American wide receivers to re-sign with the team, joining Jaelon Acklin and Marcus Tucker, according to news reports.

Marshall played eight games with the Tiger-Cats in 2019, accumulating eight receptions for 139 yards, one carry for five yards and a touchdown, and two kickoff returns for 23 yards. The 2020 CFL season was canceled due to the coronavirus.

The Tiger-Cats open their season June 10.

This is the latest stop in a football career that has seen Marshall sign with two NFL teams after an outstanding high school and college career.

He left OSU after two seasons, then went undrafted in 2016. He signed with the New York Jets.

He also played for the Orlando Apollos of the Alliance of American Football and scored the first touchdown in league history.

While at MHS, Marshall played wide receiver and quarterback and rushed for 4,759 yards and had 54 rushing and passing touchdowns.

He redshirted his freshman year at OSU, then played in all 15 games the following season. He finished second on the team with 38 receptions for 499 yards and six touchdowns. The receptions were second-most by an Ohio State freshman behind former Middletown and Football Hall of Famer Cris Carter’s 41.

Following a one-game suspension for violating team rules, Marshall returned and played in the final 12 games. He finished the year with 36 receptions for 477 yards and five touchdowns.

He played wide receiver and returned kicks for the Jets in 2016. He played in 10 games with 162 receiving yards and two touchdowns. He also made 13 kickoff returns for 324 yards and 18 punt returns for 100 yards.

In March 2017, the NFL suspended Marshall for the first four games of the season for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. He later was waived by the Jets.

He spent the 2019 season playing for the Apollos. In 8 games, Marshall caught 26 passes for 364 yards and 3 touchdowns. After the AAF’s shutdown in April 2019, Marshall signed with the Oakland Raiders on May 7 but was waived two days later.

About the Author