— By Bill Cornwell
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Marshall’s football team will be down several key performers in the December 19 matchup with UTSA in the Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl in Frisco, Texas.
Nine MU players have entered the NCAA Transfer Portal since Monday, including four starters.
The most recognizable name to enter the portal is two-year starting quarterback Cam Fancher, who led the Herd to a season-ending win over Arkansas State on November 25 that allowed Marshall to become bowl eligible a seventh straight season.
Fancher threw for 2,162 yards and 11 touchdowns along with 11 interceptions. He also ran for 273 yards and four touchdowns. He played in all but two of Marshall’s regular season games, sitting out contests against Georgia Southern and South Alabama due to injury.
Another key portal entrant is wide receiver Caleb Coombs, who topped Marshall with 39 receptions for 310 yards and two touchdowns.
Two other starters that won’t be playing the Frisco Bowl are offensive lineman Trent Holler and tight end Sean Sallis. Holler played in 11 regular season games and started 10.
Sallis was productive late in the season for the Marshall offense and ended with five catches for 51 yards and a touchdown.
Other portal entries for Marshall to this point are wide receiver Zion Odoms, linebacker Jayven Hall, defensive lineman Thomas Lane and offensive linemen Chiazo Obobi and TyShawn Hurst.
“The guys that decide to go in the portal, we don’t allow them to play in the bowl game because they should be taking visits and researching other schools,” MU head coach Charles Huff said. “They can’t take a visit if they’ve got to be at practice.”
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Award-winning night: Marshall held its season-ending Awards Banquet last Sunday night at the Memorial Student Center.
Senior defensive end Owen Porter received the top honor as he was named the team’s Most Valuable Player.
Linebacker Eli Neal won the Defensive MVP award and running back Rasheen Ali claimed the Offensive MVP award.
Receiver Jayden Harrison won the Special Teams MVP award for his efforts as a kickoff returner.
Red Dawson, who was on the coaching staff of the 1970 Marshall football squad, was honored at the banquet with the Phil Ratliff Distinguished Alumnus Award.
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Jayden Harrison an All-American: Harrison has picked up a pair of national honors this week for his efforts during the 2023 season.
Harrison was named as a 2023 CBS Sports / 247Sports All-America First Team selection and also as a Jet Award finalist.
Harrison’s nomination as a 2023 CBS Sports All-America selection marked the first time a Marshall player had been named a first-team selection from CBS Sports since the late Jonathan Goddard was named as a defensive lineman in 2004. Marshall great Vinny Curry was also named a CBS Sports All-America Second Team selection in 2011.
Harrison led FBS in kickoff return average at 31.9 yards per return. He also had a pair of kickoff returns for touchdown on the season — a 94-yarder against James Madison and a 98-yarder to start Marshall’s 38-33 win over Georgia Southern.
In addition to the CBS Sports All-America nomination, Harrison was named as a 2023 Jet Award finalist on Monday.
The Jet Award is given annually to the nation’s most outstanding return specialist. The award is voted on by a media panel made up of members of the Football Writers Association of America.