Andrew Marshall entered the 2026 season as easily the best defensive back on the Nebraska football team. After the first four weeks, he might be the best defensive back in the country. Count one group of analysts who are definitely convinced.
In the Huskers’ Week 4 game against Michigan State, Marshall seemed to announce his presence with authority. In the process, Pro Football Network says he jumped to the top of the list and now has the highest PFN Impact Grade of any cornerback in the sport.
The Spartans targeted Marshall 3 times, and none of those passes were completed. He tallied one pass breakup and made a fantastic interception, showing just how locked in he is. Marshall started moving on the ball before the receiver he was covering hit the top of his route. By jumping the route, Marshall looked like he was the intended receiver when he made the pick.
After the big performance, which helped Nebraska to its first 4-0 start to the season since 2016, Marshall’s PFN Impact Grade jumped from 92.9 (which had him ranked No. 7 in the country) to 96.4 and No. 1 in college football.
One hell of a play by Andrew Marshall on his INT as he starts to break on the football before the WR even gets to the top of the route pic.twitter.com/VMxDTkQJJk
— Elijah Herbel (@HerbelEssences) September 27, 2026
Andrew Marshall becomes PFN's No. 1 cornerback after Nebraska football's Michigan State win
Marshall isn’t just recognized as the best player at his position; according to Pro Football Network, he has a nice buffer, since the No. 2 player, Jahlil Florence, carries an impact grade that’s a full 1.3 points worse than the Nebraska star’s.
Pro Football Focus doesn’t rate Marshall as highly using its metrics, but he did score a 79.8 overall grade for his game against Michigan State. Nationally, Marshall is ranked as the No. 27 defensive back, but when taking into account players who have played as many snaps as Marshall has, the Nebraska corner is No. 6 in the country.
Marshall entered his second season with Nebraska as a potential Big Ten standout, but his start so far has made him a legitimate candidate for the All-American team.
Marshall spent two seasons at FCS Idaho before transferring to Nebraska. As a Vandal, Marshall played in 26 games with 14 starts and totaled 72 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, eight pass breakups, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. Marshall was also an outstanding returner, returning both a punt and a kickoff for a touchdown. He had 9 kickoff returns for 373 yards and one touchdown at Idaho, averaging 41.4 yards per return. Marshall also returned 14 punts for 150 yards and one touchdown, averaging 10.7 yards per return.
As a sophomore in 2024, Marshall played on a defense that helped Idaho advance to the FCS playoff quarterfinals. That season, he recorded 50 tackles, 1.0 TFL, 3 pass breakups, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. As a returner, Marshall had 8 kickoff returns for 327 yards and one touchdown and 14 punt returns for 150 yards and one score. Marshall was a first-team All-Big Sky selection at cornerback and earned honorable-mention recognition as a kickoff returner.
In 2025, Marshall started all 13 games for Nebraska and earned honorable-mention All-Big Ten recognition. He recorded 45 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss, one interception, and 4 pass breakups. Marshall was a key member of a Husker secondary that ranked third nationally in pass defense.
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