Michigan running back Jordan Marshall is heading into 2026 with a résumé that should have him getting more attention than he is.
Instead, he keeps landing on the edge of the national conversation. ESPN included him among the backs receiving votes just outside its top 10, and CBS Sports left Michigan out of its top-10 backfields entirely. For a player who just put together the season Marshall did, that’s a hard list to square.
Marshall started 2025 behind Justice Haynes, but he still finished as Michigan’s leading rusher with 932 yards and 10 touchdowns. He averaged 6.2 yards per carry, forced 46 missed tackles and picked up 3.8 yards after contact per attempt while earning an 87.8 overall grade from PFF.
What makes the production stand out even more is how little volume he had to work with. Marshall topped 20 carries only twice all season and still finished 68 yards shy of 1,000. When Michigan leaned on him more, he answered with four straight 100-yard games from Oct. 18 through Nov. 15 and scored seven touchdowns over that stretch.
His season then got cut short. Marshall hurt his shoulder late in the year, was limited against Ohio State and did not play in the bowl game against Texas. So instead of ending the season on a national stage with a chance to get over 1,000 yards, his breakout run slipped quietly into the background.
That helps explain why he’s not getting the same offseason buzz as some of his peers. Five-star freshman Savion Hiter has grabbed plenty of attention, and he should.
But Hiter’s arrival doesn’t change what Michigan already has in Marshall. Head coach Kyle Whittingham has been clear that Marshall remains RB1, and the two together could give the Wolverines one of the most dangerous backfields in the country.
That’s why CBS Sports leaving Michigan off its top-10 running back units list feels off. The Wolverines still finished 14th nationally in rushing last season even with injuries affecting both Marshall and Haynes. Now Marshall is back healthy, Hiter is in the mix and offensive coordinator Jason Beck arrives after guiding the nation’s No. 2 rushing attack in consecutive seasons at two different programs.
Marshall doesn’t need a hype campaign to make his case. He has already shown he can pile up elite production without a true feature-back workload. With his health back, his place at the top of the depth chart secure and an offense built to run, the only question is how long the rest of the sport keeps looking past him.
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