The tight ends are about to matter a lot more in Michigan’s new offense, and Zack Marshall is right in the middle of that conversation.
Marshall checks in at No. 25 on Michigan Wolverines on SI’s top-25 most important Michigan players for the 2026 season, a consensus list put together by the staff heading into July. With Marlin Klein off to the NFL, Marshall has a real chance to slide into a starting role and become a bigger part of what Michigan does next fall.
His path to this point has been a steady climb. In 2024, when Colston Loveland was still in Ann Arbor, the tight end room ran through Loveland, Klein and then-freshman Hogan Hansen.
When Loveland was dealing with injuries, Hansen was the one who stepped up and looked like a real answer for Michigan. Last season, though, injuries hit Hansen and Klein enough to open the door for Marshall, and he made the most of it.
Marshall finished as Michigan’s fifth-leading receiver, catching 16 passes for 199 yards and one touchdown. Pro Football Focus graded him as the team’s second-most efficient pass catcher with a 69.8 receiving grade.
He also stood out for something every quarterback loves: dependable hands. Michigan dropped 28 passes overall, but Marshall didn’t have one of them.
That reliability is part of why he was named Michigan’s most-improved offensive player last season. Now he enters 2026 with a chance to do even more, even with Hansen still expected to play a key role. Marshall has already shown he can earn targets, and the new offense should only help that.
Jason Beck is now coordinating the attack, and Bryce Underwood will have more options than before. The tight ends are no longer just window dressing in this system.
Marshall described the change this spring this way: "It's about getting open, playing a little bit of backyard football, having versatility in what you do, not just sitting in one place," Marshall said earlier this spring. "Like those kind of things are so different than a - some of the pro style offenses that you see, right?
Like there's a lot of times in pro style offenses you're running to get covered. In this offense you're never running to get covered.
You are trying to get open, you're ready to get the ball. All five eligibles can get the ball.
And the quarterback, yeah, he can run that ball too."
That philosophy should create more chances for Marshall and the rest of the tight end group. The wide receivers are still expected to handle most of the work, but the tight ends are set to be part of the passing game in a meaningful way.
The source of that optimism is pretty clear. At Utah in 2025, tight end Dallen Bentley was the Utes’ second-leading pass catcher, and he was tied for the team lead with six receiving touchdowns. Marshall isn’t expected to lead Michigan in catches or even finish in the top three, but the red zone should be a place where he gets chances.
If things break the way Michigan hopes under Beck, Marshall could finish with three-plus receiving touchdowns this season.
In Other News...
ESPN Just Made An Unforgivable Mistake With A Michigan Legend
ESPN set off a familiar kind of college football debate this week when it published a list of the greatest player to wear each jersey number, only to trip over one of Michigans most recognizable names. Anthony Carter, who starred in Ann Arbor from 1979 to 1982, was part of the conversation because of the impact he made in maize and blue, where he built a rsum that still stands out in program history.
The problem is the placement, and it is the sort of mistake that jumps out immediately to anyone who knows Michigan football. Carters name appeared tied to Ohio State in the article, and the error has not yet been corrected by ESPN. For Wolverines fans, it is a reminder that even a piece meant to celebrate college footballs greats can still miss the mark when it comes to one of their legends. [Read more 🡒]
Mason Curtis Just Teased Something Michigan Fans Will Love At The Big House
Mason Curtis has been one of the more interesting pieces in Michigans secondary conversation this summer, not because he is locked into one spot, but because he can move around and help wherever the defense needs him. The versatile safety has played multiple roles before, and that kind of flexibility matters in a room that already has plenty of bodies competing for snaps. Curtis said he wants to use his size to affect throws and help create turnovers, which fits the kind of disruptive defender Michigan has tended to value.
He also had praise for new head coach Kyle Whittingham and the way the staff has approached the job, pointing to the work ethic and no-nonsense tone around the program. Just as notable was the way Curtis talked about what home games can become for this team, with confidence that the atmosphere around the Big House will matter this season. For a player still carving out his place in a deep safety group, that kind of belief says plenty about the mood inside the building, and it leaves Michigan fans wondering what exactly is coming next. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Is Suddenly In The Mix For A Massive 2028 TE
Michigans early push for the 2028 class is already taking shape at tight end, where Kyle Whittingham and his staff have been aggressive in getting in front of the position group. The Wolverines have extended offers widely, and that effort has put them on the radar with several of the class best prospects while also giving the program a chance to build on the momentum from its 2027 recruiting work.
Jordan McKinley has emerged as one of the names to watch, with the four-star prospect already viewing Michigan as a top option. The Wolverines are also in the mix for other elite tight ends, which gives this stretch a bigger feel than a routine offer chase, since the staff is trying to establish an early foothold in a class that could shape the next wave of the programs offense. [Read more 🡒]