The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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FEBRUARY 2023 THE WOLVERINE 53 PREP PROFILES Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller four- star tailback Jordan Marshall has argu- ably inserted himself among the top three targets on Michigan's 2024 board. He's coming off a Gatorade State Player of the Year award in Ohio and was named to the MaxPreps Junior All-American Team for 2022. On3 ranks Marshall as the No. 4 player in the state of Ohio, and the No. 4 run- ning back and No. 45 overall prospect nationally. He finished his junior season with 244 carries for 1,951 yards and 34 touchdowns. He also caught 19 passes for 364 yards and 4 scores for a Moeller team that reached the state semifinals and finished 13-2. Marshall received his offer from Mich- igan in June after first visiting Ann Arbor that spring. He returned on Halloween weekend for the night game against Michigan State and has scheduled his third trip to campus in January. "I love Michigan," Marshall told The Wolverine. "Academically, they're amaz- ing. That's a big part of what I'm looking for. Then, obviously, me and [running backs] coach [Mike] Hart are really close. He's my guy. We're pretty much the same person, it's crazy. So, it's just really spe- cial knowing the connection that we have. Plus, they run that ball. "The visit was great," Marshall said of his game-day visit to The Big House for the rivalry game with the Spartans. "Just the atmosphere and how packed it was with all the fans wearing maize and blue. I've seen the stadium empty before but seeing it packed is a whole different vibe. It was a great time just being there. Words just can't describe my feeling about the game. Also, getting to know some of the other top recruits was great, too." Hart and co-defensive coordinator Steve Clinkscale, an Ohio native, are leading the way as the primary recruit- ers for Marshall. "He tells me little secrets on the side to help me keep running," Marshall said of Hart. "He's a really good guy, and he's really close with my family too. That's really instrumental to me because rela- tionships are going to play a big part in my recruiting process. "… The mix that Michigan has right now with the two-back system is great for them. It looks really good, and they always run hard." Marshall has plans to formally an- nounce a top list of schools after he completes his round of unofficial visits during January. His trip to U-M is up first and will be followed by Wisconsin and Tennessee. Other schools vying for his services include Ohio State (Marshall was in Columbus unofficially on Nov. 26 and saw Michigan take down the Buck- eyes at the Horseshoe), Penn State, Cin- cinnati and Notre Dame. — Zach Libby Michigan has a need for an elite run- ning back this cycle and recently dipped down into Texas to put an offer on the table for top-100 prospect Taylor Tatum. Ranked by On3 as the No. 2 running back and No. 36 overall prospect nation- ally, Tatum was thrilled when U-M run- ning backs coach Mike Hart made the call and extended a scholarship right before Christmas weekend. "That offer meant a lot to me," Tatum said. "Michigan is a high-profile school, and they are making the College Foot- ball Playoff consistently now. Coach Hart said Coach [Jim] Harbaugh liked my film a lot, which was a blessing. It's cool knowing that if I were to go to Michigan, I would play for Coach Hart, who had a lot of accolades and got a contract at the next level." Hart and company actually got an as- sist in this recruitment from new U-M baseball coach Tracy Smith, who has been in contact with Tatum for several months. Tatum doubles as a top baseball prospect in the outfield and at second base, and he wants to play both sports in college. Smith helped get Tatum in front of the football staff, and the two have already built a strong relationship. "I have been talking to Michigan's head baseball coach for a while now," Tatum said. "Baseball was actually my first sport, but I also got really good at foot- ball. Coach Smith got the job at Michigan this year, and he built a relationship with me and my high school coach. We had that going on before I got the football of- fer." Now, it will be up to Hart to make a similar impression on the football side. "Coach Hart is really chill," Tatum said. "He said he doesn't offer many running backs, and I did my research, and he's right. He said he recruits guys he likes and not stars. He also said he's going to focus on five running backs, so I like that because I know I'm a priority." The next step for Tatum is making his first-ever trip to Ann Arbor. "I've talked to the baseball staff about coming up in the spring for a baseball camp and turning that into a football visit as well," Tatum said. "I want to meet all the coaches and see Coach Hart and Coach Harbaugh. I know everything up there is nice. I'll probably love it. I know it's cold up there, but Texas boys are tough. I'm not making a decision based on distance, and my parents support that." Along with Michigan, Tatum holds of- fers from Auburn, Michigan State, Okla- homa, Oregon, Stanford, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, USC and a slew of other major programs. Tatum rushed for 1,889 yards and 33 touchdowns for Class 5A Division 1 state semifinalist Longview (Texas) High as a junior last season. — EJ Holland Standout Ohio Running Back Is A Priority For The Wolverines Elite Texas Running Back Is Also A Baseball Prospect For U-M ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Archbishop Moeller H.S. Cincinnati Class: 2024 Position: Running Back Ht.: 5-10 • Wt.: 190 On3 Rankings: No. 4 player in Ohio, and No. 4 running back and No. 45 overall prospect nationally Jordan Marshall ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Longview H.S. Longview, Texas Class: 2024 Position: Running Back Ht.: 5-10 • Wt.: 195 On3 Rankings: No. 8 player in Texas, and No. 2 running back and No. 36 overall prospect nationally Taylor Tatum