Michigan’s ground game may be finding its rhythm at the right time, and Jordan Marshall’s latest health update is a big reason why.
Marshall looked sharp against Iowa on Saturday, even if his night ended earlier than expected. His final carry came with 3:12 left in the third quarter, and by then he had already put together what was easily his strongest outing of the season. He led Michigan with 59 rushing yards on 11 carries before Savion Hiter finished the game with Marshall on the sideline.
After the game, head coach Kyle Whittingham said Marshall wasn’t hurt to his knowledge. On Tuesday night, Marshall backed that up and said he’s feeling better than he has at any point since the season began.
"I feel great," Marshall said. "I would say that [Iowa] game was the best I've felt since we started.
I felt explosive, ready to go. I think you guys could probably see that, just how I was running.
I think we're starting to get a sense of what our running backs like to run. The OC, Coach Beck, is getting an understanding of how we play."
Marshall has dealt with injuries this season, but he made it clear that, as a captain, he plans to keep answering the call whenever Michigan needs him.
"I was dealing with some stuff, some nicks and bruises. Again, the team needs me to go. I'm a captain of this team, and I'm going to be out there for my team, giving it 100% no matter what," said Marshall.
Through four games, Marshall has been Michigan’s lead back, piling up 194 rushing yards and two touchdowns. The workload has looked different from last season, when he got as many as 15 to 25 carries per game during a four-game stretch as a starter. This year, his high-water mark is 12 carries, which came against UTEP.
Still, Marshall isn’t chasing volume. He knows Michigan is spreading the work around, with three running backs and Bryce Underwood all involved in the run game, and he’s focused on the end result.
"You guys have seen me go above that in previous years before that," said Marshall. "Whatever they need me to do, like I've said before, I'm going to go do it. If that's 11 rushes and then go block on third down, if that's going to catch the ball out of the backfield.
"Again, it's hard to get it when you're not having explosive runs to have a 100-yard game or whatever it is, but you've got four guys carrying the ball. You've got me, Kuz, Savion, and you've got Bryce carrying the ball. So we're really sharing carries between four guys, and if you add all those up, it's probably over 30, 40 [carries].
"Numbers aren't what I'm looking for; I'm looking for wins. As long as we're winning football games, that's all that matters to me."
Michigan is back in action Saturday against Minnesota.
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The next branch of that tree only adds to the programs reputation. Jesse Minter stepped in after Macdonald, followed Harbaugh to the Chargers, and has since climbed to the top of the NFL ladder himself, earning the Baltimore Ravens head coaching job in 2026. For Michigan, it is another reminder that Harbaughs staff did not just win games, it became a pipeline to the leagues most prominent jobs. [Read more 🡒]
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The Wolverines are also working to stay in position with 2028 tight end Jack McNamara, another target who has been around campus multiple times and has built a close relationship with the staff. For a program that keeps emphasizing long-term roster building, those early ties matter, especially when the competition for elite prospects only gets more intense the farther out the calendar goes. Michigan has plenty of work ahead, but the buzz around these names suggests the staff is laying real groundwork for the classes to come. [Read more 🡒]