The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1536962
THE WOLVERINE 2025 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 51 he can make people miss, he can run you over, he obviously has that burst. "… Jordan Marshall's going to be a spe- cial back. He's got a lot of ability, but he works really hard, so I think that's the piece that really makes him different." Humility, Work Ethic Set Marshall Apart Like Corum, Marshall is all about his teammates and what he can do for Michi- gan, not what the brand can do for him. It was evident during the recruiting process he was intrigued by the way the program operated and the culture (though it didn't hurt that Moore proved he liked to run the ball, too), and he knew early on he was a great fit. The sophomore's humility was on dis- play this spring when he was asked what he brought to the table, and what he thought he could show that could take the offense to another level. "I guess you'll just have to wait and see," he said with a grin. "It's going to be exciting. Whatever I can do to help this team win is what I want to do. Just like I said at the end of our last game last year, our standard is to bring another national championship back here, and that's what we're going to do. "It's going to not just be one [person]. It's going to come with a few, and I'm ex- cited to see how we can take this program and put it back on that pedestal and bring [a championship] back. We want every- thing. We want to come for everybody, and we're not dodging smoke." Just the way he didn't avoid it when he got the call against the Crimson Tide. There wasn't much room to move, but he simply made yardage where there wasn't much behind a revamped line. Alabama defenders keyed on him in the absence of a Michigan passing game, and while they had some success, it usually wasn't the first guy who got him. "I think a lot of it was him," Jansen said, noting that's what he saw after watching the film. "He just is one of those backs that is not going to go down on initial contact. There's just a lot to like about how he runs the ball. He's got a little bit of [graduated running back] Kalel [Mull- ings] in him. "Kalel, unless he just got the ball and got hit, he was never going to take a lost- yardage play. He just had that power. Jor- dan also seems to have that kind of power and mentality. You're not going to see a lot of lost-yardage plays. He's going to, at a minimum, get back to the line of scrim- mage or fight for a yard or two." It could have been frustrating for him given how tough it was against Alabama — 13 of his 23 carries went for 3 yards or less, 11 for 2 or lower — but he continued to grind. A few of his best carries came in the fourth quarter, including a 24-yarder that set up a field goal that gave the Wolverines a 19-10 lead. Great backs get stronger as the game progresses. Marshall seemed to have the same bounce in his step in the fourth quarter that he did early in the game, and he never showed any frustration on the negative plays. "Even in high school, I've always been taught to be a leader, and when I get out there, show them what I'm about," he said. "That's how I've always carried myself … with confidence, and I'm secure with my- self. So, when I'm out there, I know what I'm going to do, and my teammates know what I expect of them, and what they need to do when they're out there. "To have that presence and to be able to bring my teammates along with me … it's really special to have that, and to have guys that are determined, like me." And physical, he added. The offensive line has a lot to prove this year after a disappointing 2024, but Marshall insists they're coming together. "Even when it was 'thud' [no tackling] some days, you've got guys flying down- hill, hitting each other," he said. "When you have to pull each other back, that's how you know you have something special building." And that building effort looks to be led by a sophomore Ohioan who has all the makings of becoming Michigan's next great back. ❑ Michigan's Sophomore 1,000-Yard Backs Michigan back Jordan Marshall is a candidate to join an exclusive group this fall — the sopho- more 1,000-yard club. Only six sophomore (true or redshirt) running backs have eclipsed the mark in the last 50 years at U-M, though Denard Robinson rushed for 1,702 yards in 2010 as a quarterback and three other players — Butch Woolfolk (990 yards, 1979), Blake Corum (952, 2021) and Donovan Edwards (991, 2022) — all came close. The super-sophomore list: Jamie Morris, 1,030 yards, 1985: He's the first sophomore in Michigan history to eclipse 1,000 yards in a season. Morris still holds the U-M school record for all-purpose yards with 6,201 and ranks third among running backs in career rushing yardage (4,392) and single- season rushing (1,703, 1987). Tony Boles, 1,408 yards, 1988: As a redshirt sophomore, Boles finished second in the Big Ten and fourth in the nation in rushing, becoming the 10th player in Michigan history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season. He also finished second in the conference with a 25.2- yard kickoff return average. Boles rushed for 179 yards and 3 touchdowns on only 10 carries at Wisconsin that year and for a career-high 213 rushing yards on 33 carries against Wake Forest. Jon Vaughn, 1,364 yards, 1990: A converted defensive back, Vaughn earned Co-Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year honors as a redshirt sophomore (sharing with Iowa players Nick Bell and Matt Rodgers) from the Big Ten coaches, starting 11 of 12 games. He opened the 1990 season with 201 yards in a loss at Notre Dame and followed up with 288 against UCLA at home. He became the first Michigan back to rush for 200 yards in consecutive games, a feat not duplicated until Mike Hart did it as a freshman in 2004. Ricky Powers, 1,197 yards, 1991: An Ohio native, Powers ventured north and earned some carries as a freshman before breaking out in Year 2. He started 11 of 12 games and earned All- Big Ten honors despite being overshadowed by Heisman-winning receiver Desmond Howard. His contributions helped Michigan capture its fourth straight Big Ten title. Tyrone Wheatley, 1,357 yards, 1992: After setting the Michigan freshman yards-per-attempt record at 6.4 (555 yards on 86 carries), Wheatley broke out and earned the first of three con- secutive first-team All-Big Ten selections. He added 13 rushing touchdowns, 3 receiving scores and also returned a kickoff for a touchdown. He is best known for his 235-yard performance in the 1993 Rose Bowl win over Washington on only 15 carries. Fitz Toussaint, 1,041 yards, 2011: As a redshirt sophomore, Toussaint finished second on the team in rushing to Denard Robinson and earned All-Big Ten honorable mention (coaches and media) honors, starting 11 of his 12 games played, missing the Notre Dame night game due to injury. He rushed for 100 yards in five of 11 starts and would later play for the Pittsburgh Steelers. — Chris Balas