Jordan Marshall didn’t spend Big Ten Media Days talking like a player satisfied with where Michigan left off. He sounded like someone who has spent the offseason staring straight at a nine-win season and refusing to let it define the program.
That’s the tone coming out of Ann Arbor now: no celebration of the standard slipping, no comfort in being close. Marshall made that plain when he addressed last year’s record and the reaction it drew.
"You go 9-3, and there's all these problems. 9-3 is not a good season to me, not to anybody with the standard of Michigan football. Let's get that right,"
For Marshall, the fix starts with everyone pulling in the same direction. He pointed to a coaching staff that has been streamlined and to communication that runs cleanly from athletic leadership down through the roster. In his view, that kind of alignment removes the clutter and lets the football take over.
"When you have alignment in a company, a brand, or anything, that's when you're through the roof," Marshall explained. "We know what our goals are, our expectations, and now it's just going 1-0 every single week."
The biggest changes, though, have shown up in the work itself. Marshall described a heavier, more football-specific approach in the weight room, with functional training and the return of maximum-effort lifts. The numbers he rattled off were hard to ignore: he said he reached a 375-pound bench press, and teammates reportedly made jumps of 100 to 200 pounds across core lifts.
Michigan also put a premium on keeping players available. Marshall said the team has leaned into daily hamstring work and soft-tissue care, while the summer conditioning program was built to address what he sees as a fourth-quarter problem from last season.
"We're going to win a lot of games just because of how much we condition and how much we run," Marshall said. "We're going to be more conditioned than teams in the fourth quarter. I think we lacked that last season."
Marshall’s confidence extends into the backfield, where he talked up the depth under running backs coach Tony Alford. He mentioned Bryson Kuzdzal and freshman Savion Hiter as part of a room he believes can thrive without getting caught up in carry counts. His priority, he said, is making sure Hiter arrives with "sky-high" confidence and that the whole group keeps moving together.
He also credited the offensive line, saying the veteran front has helped the backs settle in and that leadership is coming from more than one position group.
What stood out most, though, was how much Marshall talked about connections outside the offense. He said this offseason brought intentional time with the defensive staff, including conversations with defensive coach Jay Hill during workouts. That kind of bond mattered to him, especially when discussing Rod Moore’s return from injury.
Marshall said he was emotional talking about the team captain’s comeback and conditioning work.
"I want to tear up right now because he's worked so hard to be in the position he is," Marshall shared. "He works his butt off every single day.
He's a two-time captain... Injuries are no joke, so I'm very excited to see him play."
As fall camp approaches, Marshall sees Michigan’s next step as a shared responsibility. He said quarterback Bryce Underwood has been working with the receivers in Los Angeles, and he believes that effort can help the Wolverines become a more balanced offense. His final point was simple: the pressure belongs to the captains, and he’s counting himself among them.
"Michigan has a lot to prove," Marshall concluded. "I'm putting that on myself, on Bryce, on Trey, on Rod. The captains have to instill that and make sure we're achieving all those goals we need to achieve."
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