The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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SEPTEMBER 2022 THE WOLVERINE 51 COMMITMENT PROFILE BY EJ HOLLAND T hree-star Carlsbad (Calif.) High tight end Zack Marshall earned a Michigan offer at The BBQ at The Big House recruiting event July 31 and committed to the Wolverines just a few weeks later. For many Michigan fans, Marshall was a brand-new name. After all, Mar- shall made the visit without holding an offer, and U-M was only expected to take one tight end this cycle — four- star Oswego (Ill.) High prospect Deakon Tonielli, who committed in June. The offer was a long time coming for Marshall. In a bit of a lucky situation, Michigan quarterback coach Matt Weiss was in San Diego recruiting elite 2024 signal-caller Julian Sayin during the spring evaluation period and decided to make the short trip to see Marshall at a workout. Marshall impressed Weiss so much that he immediately got him on the line with Michigan tight ends coach Grant Newsome. "Coach Weiss was in town and visited me on a one-off chance," Marshall said. "He heard about a tight end in San Di- ego. That same day, I got on a FaceTime with Coach Newsome. After that, my mom had surgery, so I wasn't able to travel to any other states or make of- ficial visits. But we kept in contact and built that connection." When July rolled around, Michi- gan decided that it could take another tight end if he was the right fit and invited Marshall to the BBQ at The Big House for an unofficial visit and pri- vate workout. Marshall performed well enough to earn an offer before leaving Ann Ar- bor. And Michigan instantly became the team to beat in his recruitment. "They said they really liked my film but needed to see me in person," Mar- shall said. "It was my only opportunity. I asked my mom if we could get one last trip in. We did a little bit of research on Michigan, and we saw the big picture. "Cal had the great academics. Utah had the great football. But they didn't compare to the combination at Michi- gan, so we booked a flight for the BBQ at The Big House. "It was awesome. I met with the coaches, did a quick workout and got offered. In my mind, I committed on the spot. I felt like it was the spot for me." Marshall made his decision public on Aug. 13. While things progressed rap- idly in a short time period, Marshall felt confident in his decision thanks in large part to Michigan's blend of elite aca- demics and athletics. "I can't say enough good things about Michigan," Marshall said. "The culture there is amazing. The academics and athletics are second to none. It's a top- 10 school perennially for football. I want to study law, and it's a top-10 school in that regard as well. No other school even comes close to that combination." Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh and his staff also played a big role in closing with Marshall. "Getting to meet with Coach Har- baugh one-on-one and having a con- versation about things other than re- cruiting was great. His first questions were, 'How are you?' and, 'Who are you?' and, 'What are your values?' "He really wants to see who you are as a person. That was the conversation I had with Coach Weiss the first day. He told me, 'We have to know who you are before we can recruit you.' "No other school was in depth with caring about the person. It was about the football. I want to be cultivated as a future man and husband. I feel like that will be cultivated the most at Michigan." Marshall, who is ranked by On3 as the No. 14 athlete nationally, recorded 44 receptions for 1,012 yards and 9 touch- downs as a junior at Solana Beach (Ca- lif.) Santa Fe Christian last season. He recently transferred to Carlsbad and will play there as a senior. Marshall is set to graduate early and will enroll at Michigan in January. ❏ California Tight End Zack Marshall Sees The 'Big Picture' At U-M PLAYER EVALUATION Strengths: Zack Marshall is an ath- letic tight end that posted more than 1,000 yards receiving as a junior. The three-star prospect is a natural pass catcher who does a great job of high pointing the ball and making tough grabs in traffic. He runs routes like a wide receiver and has great bend for his size. He can get in and out of breaks in a hurry and is comfortable when split out wide. Areas Of Improvement: Marshall is a bit on the thin side and needs to add weight and strength to his frame. While he is a playmaker as a pure receiver, he will need to get comfor table with blocking and playing in line in the physical Big Ten. He also doesn't have the height that U-M usually desires at the tight end position — he is right at about 6-foot-4. Michigan Player Comparison: Marshall has a similar frame coming out of high school as Michigan tight end Matthew Hibner, who was a near-1,000-yard pass catcher as a se- nior. Hibner came along as a blocker late in his high school career and also saw time on the defensive side of the ball. Marshall is also expected to play both ways as a senior. — EJ Holland Marshall, who will play tight end for the Wolverines, is rated as the No. 30 prospect in California and the No. 14 athlete in the nation by On3. PHOTO COURTESY ZACK MARSHALL