The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1541451
DECEMBER 2025 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 21 amazing. The coaches here are amazing. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. "To have this support system and my family, all coming along with me, is very important." The sophomore exudes a certain sense of fearlessness, noting with a smile, "My mom's a little feisty." He never blinked at moving out of the scarlet side of the great divide and soaring into the blue. Instead of chafing at Michigan bringing in Haynes from Alabama in the offsea- son, he welcomed the move. Marshall's burning desire involves Michigan being all it can be in football, and him develop- ing his own talents to the max. In other words, bring it on. "I'd just say, I've never been scared to compete," Marshall asserted. "That's why you go to Michigan — to compete. I knew I was going to be playing with the best running backs in the country. You recruit, year-in and year-out, the best running backs in the country. I wouldn't have it any other way. "You want to be developed. You want to be around great players, when you come here. I wanted Justice here. One, you always play with two backs at Michi- gan. It's always been that way. They've always had two really good backs, and probably two more who are sitting the bench. It's crazy to think how good a running back room can be. For me, it's competing. "I've never been scared to compete or work for what I have. In high school, I could have stayed in public school and played both sides [offense and defense]. I could have gone to a smaller D-III school that I really liked. But I went to [powerhouse Archbishop] Moeller and a D-I program — really competitive in all sports, academics. That's something that I want to be a part of, competing not only in football but in all aspects of my life." The second part isn't thrown in for ap- pearances, Marshall assured. "You compete to be a good man here," he said. "You see how people are do- ing things, how they carry themselves. That's something I've always been ob- sessed with — competing and being the best, not running from anything. I was raised that way. "Not running from anything is go- ing to define who you are as a man. A true man is someone that doesn't run from something that steps in their fam- ily's face. My family right now is here at Michigan and in this building, and then my family back home. I'm not going to run from that. I'm going to step up to the challenge, step up to the plate and go to bat for the people I love." A PEEK BACK, A CHARGE FORWARD Marshall sprang onto the scene by pounding out 100 yards in the rain against Alabama's defense last year. Some of that involved mind over matter, after a rocky practice start. "That week in bowl practice, I had probably one of my worst weeks," Mar- shall admitted. "I had a fumble on the first day we got down there. I just didn't feel myself. Coach [Tony] Alford and I sat down the day before the game. He's like, 'You're going to win MVP of this game.' He looked at me, and he's like, 'Do you believe me?' I said, 'I believe you.' I went out there and just played. I played for myself, for God, for my family and for this university. "To be able to go out there and make a mark on who I wanted to be and what I was going to do for the rest of my career here was important." Marshall became the MVP. He could win another in the days to come. He's deeply excited about what can be for the Wolverines, next year and the year af- ter. But there's no way he's ready to cast aside this year's dream. "We try to be in the moment, but it's hard also," Marshall noted. "Especially when everybody is like, 'Aw, Michigan's young, Michigan's young, and they're already making a run.' For me, it's making sure we're preparing to go far this year, and to make it to the national champi- onship this year. Because if we make it to the national championship this year, that means the next two years could be amazing. "It's getting the young guys' mindsets to be there. After this year, you have to lead. You're not a kid anymore. You're an adult. You're a starter at Michigan, and you have to prepare like that right now. It's hard for these younger guys. It's mentally hard, especially when you get to this part of the season, and you're in Playoff mode, to stay completely locked in. "Your body is tired. Your mind is tired. You're doing the same thing over and over. It's how do I stay consistent? Being around [freshman quarterback] Bryce [Underwood], he's already got it. I always talk to him. People would say, he didn't have a great game [against Purdue]. You know what? It is what it is. We won the football game, and I promise you, Bryce is a competitor, and he's going to have some of the best games he's had all sea- son in the last games." The back built for November plans to do the same — fearlessly. ❏ Marshall Could Join The 1,000-Yard Club Sophomore running back Jordan Marshall is closing in on 1,000 yards rushing this season. Michigan would welcome another in a long list of 1,000-yard rushers down through the years. Here's a look at the last 10 times a U-M running back reached that plateau. 2023, Blake Corum — Corum rushed for 1,245 yards and 27 touchdowns in Michigan's 15-0 national championship campaign. 2022, Blake Corum — The Big Ten champions featured Corum rushing for 1,463 yards and 18 TDs. 2021, Hassan Haskins — Michigan's breakthrough Big Ten champions and CFP squad got 1,327 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns by Haskins. 2018, Karan Higdon — Higdon carried for 1,178 yards and 10 touchdowns. 2011, Fitzgerald Toussaint — Toussaint rushed for 1,041 yards and 9 TDs. 2007, Mike Hart — Hart racked up 1,361 yards and 14 touchdowns in his final season. 2006, Mike Hart — Hart rushed for 1,562 yards and 14 TDs. 2004, Mike Hart — Hart bolted away for 1,455 yards and 9 touchdowns as a true freshman for the Big Ten champs. 2003, Chris Perry — Perry gave the Wolverines 1,674 yards and 18 touchdowns in his final year in a winged helmet. 2002, Chris Perry — Perry rushed for 1,110 yards and 14 touchdowns. — John Borton