The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1542609
BY JOHN BORTON S cores of elite receivers have run out of the Michigan Stadium tunnel over the years, winged helmets on their heads and the end zone on their minds. None ever produced more receiving yards in their freshman season than rookie wideout Andrew Marsh. Anthony Carter, Greg McMurtry, Desmond Howard, Mario Manning- ham, Braylon Edwards, David Terrell, Amani Toomer, Mercury Hayes, Jason Avant, Steve Breaston and on and on. Some saw only a handful of catches in their first season as a Wolverine. But a 6-foot, 190-pound young man out of Katy, Texas, found great opportunity in coming north for the 2025 Michigan football season. The Wolverines needed pass catchers, and the youngest of them all became the biggest target of the sea- son for a fellow freshman, quarterback Bryce Underwood. The two of them spent hundreds of hours together over the past many months — throwing and catching, watching video, learning the playbook, honing their timing and connectedness to be able to think and react with one mind when the bright lights came on. It wasn't perfect. It never is. Michigan left meat on the bone in its biggest games of the year and came up one big victory shy of clawing into the conversation for the destination they all wanted to reach — the College Football Playoff. But an offense featuring a line peppered with a majority of redshirt freshman starters; a challenging season in terms of reach- ing big numbers by veteran wideouts; untimely injuries to the top two running backs and a freshman quarterback find- ing his way, laid a foundation for future winning at a higher level. Marsh firmly believes it all goes up from here. He knows the work he put in. He knows how much better he got over the course of the season, how much more he understands about the Michigan playbook and how serious adaptations must take place on game day. He fully appreciates how the other side has a say, and just how talented other teams can be. The freshman — who the Rivals Indus- try Ranking listed as the No. 157 overall player and No. 22 wide receiver in the DOUBLING DOUBLING DOWN DOWN Freshman Wideout Andrew Marsh Freshman Wideout Andrew Marsh Is Focused On Even Bigger Gains Is Focused On Even Bigger Gains Marsh's 12 catches for 189 yards against Northwestern set Michigan freshman records in both categories. He finished the year with 651 receiving yards in 2025, also the all-time best among U-M freshmen, along with 45 catches (second among frosh) and a team-high 4 receiving touchdowns. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL 32 THE WOLVERINE ❱ FEBRUARY 2026