The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1542609
FEBRUARY 2026 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 33 2025 class — began his first college sea- son with a whisper, joining countless other rookies who hoped to not stumble as they leaped to touch the banner in their first appearance at a jam-packed Michigan Stadium. " I d e f i n i te l y h a d b u t t e r - f l i e s i n my stomach the first time," M a rs h re - called. "Big m o m e n t . I t 's r e a l l y s o m e t h i n g I prayed for." He m a n a ge d 69 ya rd s o n 3 k i c ko f fs that opening night, giving little indication of what was to come. Be- fore long, Marsh began getting the sort of attention most true freshmen only dream about. He broke out with 4 catches for 80 yards against Wisconsin. A game later, Marsh proved a bright spot on a dim night in Los Angeles, making 8 catches for 138 yards and a touch- down in a loss at USC. He secured a highlight reel one-handed grab over the middle against Washing- ton, further opening the eyes of on- lookers. Then came the contest nobody saw coming. When Michigan needed help the most — in a shockingly close game at Wrigley Field against North- western — Marsh stole the show, set- ting Michigan freshman records with a dozen catches for 189 yards in the 24-22 cliffhanger victory. Marsh snagged an Underwood bomb in that one to set up the Wolverines' first score. Then with Michigan trailing 22-21, with just under two minutes to play, Marsh secured a game-saving grab that showed off skills that belied his c o l l e ge - l eve l ex p e r i e n c e . O n third-and-10, Underwood un- leashed a sideline throw for which Marsh fully laid out, clinching the football, digging toes in inches from the sideline and hang- ing on as he crashed to the turf. Marsh's big-time play kept things going for se- nior placekicker Dominic Zvada's game- winning field goal. SEEING MORE OF MARSH Marsh's role in that win wasn't so unbelievable to his coaches and team- mates. They'd seen the skills for many months, and they were just fully emerg- ing to the onlookers in the stands. Graduate transfer wideout Donaven McCulley — whose 39 catches and 588 receiving yards stand second only to Marsh's 45 grabs and freshman-record 651 receiving yards — speaks fondly about the frosh whom he got a chance to help along the way. "It's extremely impressive. I see him do that every day in camp," McCul- ley noted of the Marsh highlight reel. "Him translating that to the game is just amazing. A young guy coming in as a freshman and being able to step up and make plays like that when we really need it, that's extremely important. "He's like my little brother. I'm just guiding him and helping him get bet- ter every single day. He's already pretty good. I'm helping him hone his skills and giving him little nuggets to con- tinue to get better." The numbers definitely mean some- thing to the freshman. He's learned enough Michigan football history in a short time to appreciate what happened this season. At the same time, he's more locked in on the future. "It's definitely something that's big for me," Marsh said. "Something that's really important for me. It's something I don't take lightly. My coaches and I talk about being able to stack those days and getting better over time. It's be- ing able to take what I've done this year and maybe do it two times as much next year." Marsh noted he greatly appreciates the older receivers as well, who not only welcomed him on the field but helped point the way away from it. "It's super helpful," Marsh noted. "For me, just being able to lean on those guys, on and off the field, and just ask them things that I didn't know or that I struggled with. Being able to talk to them, those guys in the room, has meant a lot to me and where I'm at." The razor's edge win against North- western infinitely elevated Marsh's pro- file. He earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors out of it, along with the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Player of the