‘Meant to Be’: Terrace Marshall Jr. learned from last year, impresses in Panthers’ camp

A gold-colored chain hung around Terrace Marshall Jr.’s neck as he sat on a golf cart following a training camp practice. The chain displayed three letters, MTB, etched onto a pendant.

Meant To Be.

That motto echoed through Marshall’s mind after his disappointing rookie season for the Carolina Panthers. The 22-year-old entered the season with a high pedigree as a second-round pick but trudged through an injury-riddled season where he only caught 17 passes.

“It’s all in God’s hands,” he said on July 29. “Everything is meant to be, everything that happened in my life is meant to happen … I learn every day.”

Marshall’s learning came from focusing on what he can control. He has improved his process and his burst off the ball, and a long summer of running routes has hopefully sharpened his catching skills and precise abilities as a receiver.

“Constantly getting smarter,” he said on his offseason. “Gaining more knowledge about the game, just getting better every day.”

Those improvements shine through in Marshall’s impressive training camp. During the first week of camp, he pulled down arguably the biggest highlight, elevating and snagging a near-40-yard pass from Sam Darnold.

His strong play continued into Week No. 2 of camp, when he caught a fade route from Baker Mayfield for a touchdown and griddied in celebration.

“You play with speed, you play with confidence and everything else will be taken care of,” he said.

The Panthers have noticed Marshall’s performance, with head coach Matt Rhule saying that he loves seeing “Moo” make a play.

“We kind of dialed his reps down because he’s been playing so hard,” Rhule said on July 29. “His reps were high and his GPS (tracking) was high … it’s great that he made a play.”

Despite those limited snaps, Marshall has rotated in with the No. 1 offense throughout camp. He’s almost guaranteed to play behind DJ Moore and Robbie Anderson, but has a chance to slide into that No. 1 receiver role.

“It feels good,” he said on playing with the first team. “I’m going to be ready when my name is called.”

Teammate Shaq Thompson, who sat beside Marshall on the cart during the interview, chimed in with his thoughts.

“Let me add to that,” he said. “That means the man is getting a lot of trust from his (offensive coordinator), from the head coach, from upstairs, from the (general manager) to the quarterback.”

That quarterback position remains unsettled, with Darnold and Baker Mayfield still vying for the team’s No. 1 job, but Marshall remains unbothered by the competition at the game’s most important position.

“It’s not weird at all,” he said about the competition. “When the ball is in the air it’s my job to go get it, no matter who it’s coming from.”

If Marshall is to seize the No. 3 receiver role, one of the more contested battles the Panthers had heading into training camp, he’ll have to beat out a host of players.

One is C.J. Saunders, a 25-year-old who’s drawn Rhule’s attention. The coach called Saunders, who has played as the first-team slot receiver as well, a “dependable player.”

“He’s quick, he’s fast, he gets open,” he said.

That dependability hasn’t always been there for Marshall, instead replaced by flashes of potential. It’ll be incumbent on the receiver to turn plays like that 40-yard-pass into a regularity — a challenge he welcomes.

This story was originally published August 4, 2022 at 4:45 PM.

Varun Shankar

The Charlotte Observer

Varun Shankar is a junior at the University of Maryland who’s interning with The Charlotte Observer’s sports section for the summer. He’s a sports editor and reporter for Maryland’s student newspaper, The Diamondback, and a high school sports writer for The Washington Post.