Jackie Marshall injury update: Dave Aranda offers diagnosis on Baylor DL after Auburn game

Baylor defensive lineman Jackie Marshall was injured during the first quarter of the Bears’ loss to Auburn on Friday night. He did not return.

Bears head coach Dave Aranda was able to provide Marshall’s initial diagnosis to media following the game. Aranda revealed it to be a high-ankle sprain and labeled his day-to-day.

“That was a hit for us. He’s one of our better players on defense,” Aranda revealed after the loss. “… Not having him, we don’t really have that ability to do that. So we have to play more just in your gap and one man, one gap, which becomes an issue with the quarterback a little bit. But (we) tried to blitz a little bit more too when he was gone.”

Marshall, a redshirt senior and captain on the Bears squad, was certainly missed throughout the matchup. He was a steady presence in Baylor’s lineup in 2024, and was hoping to get off to a fast start against the Tigers but that wasn’t the case.

The Louisiana native started all 13 of Baylor’s games last season. He amassed 42 tackles, 6.5 for a loss, three sacks, a forced fumble and five quarterback hurries. PFF named Marshall Baylor’s top-graded defensive player. He posted a 78.4 defensive grade, an 88.4 rush defense grade and a 63.9 pass rush grade, setting up a strong senior season. However, it remains to be seen how long he’ll be sidelined moving forward.

“So we’re hoping that we get Jackie back,” Aranda continued. “We’ve got some players that have been with us now for about two, three weeks that we gotta bring along. We added them for depth, and the depth is needed right now.”

Despite their depth, Baylor’s defensive front was only able to force one sack against the Auburn offensive line and gave up over 300 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. In the end, the Bears lost 38-24 on their home field.

Looking ahead, the Bears will take on another tough non-conference opponent in Week 2. This time, they’ll be on the road at No. 16 SMU. The Mustangs are coming off a run to the College Football Playoff in 2024 and won their opener against E Texas A&M 42-13 during Week 1.

It’s unclear whether Marshall will be healthy enough to suit up for that matchup. His status will likely be updated throughout the week leading up to the Week 2 matchup.