The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1546232
58 THE WOLVERINE ❱ SEPTEMBER 2026 "I just feel like leadership is something God gave me . So, whatever the team needs from me, I've got to be able to give that." W hen Ohio native Jor- dan Marshall spoke these words with sincerity and conviction while meeting with reporters July 30 at Big Ten Media Days in Chicago, what was already pretty evident became crystal clear. The third-year running back was going to be a Michigan cap- tain someday. Some would say it came a bit earlier than expected given the honor is usually reserved for players with senior eligibil- ity, but in the evolving world of college football, nothing really surprises anymore — not even a quartet of captains that includes a sophomore quarterback with plenty to prove and U-M's sec- ond ever three-time captain. In Marshall, second-year quarterback Bryce Underwood, sixth- year safety Rod Moore, and senior tackle Trey Pierce, the Wolverines have one of the more unique combinations of lead- ers in charge we've ever seen in Ann Ar- bor. And yet when they were announced Aug. 17, we nodded to ourselves and said, "This makes perfect sense." All four players have led in their own way over the last few years, but none more than Marshall. He was one of the first to recommit after Sherrone Moore was fired and replaced by new head coach Kyle Whittingham. Given what we'd learned about Marshall in speaking with him in his first two years on cam- pus, that was no surprise, either. "Leaders can't have bad days," Mar- shall said in Chicago. "You've got people counting on you. You've got people who need your presence … "If I'm going to demand accountability from somebody else, they've got to be able to demand it from me, too. That's how it has to be." And that's how it's been. We can only imagine what Marshall was thinking when he witnessed the shenanigans of his previous coach. That wasn't the Michigan he signed up for, and it would have been easy for him to bail on the program, especially in the NIL era when poaching disgruntled players is like shooting fish in a barrel. But this guy … he's different, and we knew it from Day 1. We had a list of peo- ple we needed to speak to at media day, but Marshall's words were so compelling that it was hard to leave his table. There's something special about him reminiscent of past great Michigan cap- tains. Nothing against the others, of course — Moore is in that category, too, while Underwood was an "overwhelm- ing" choice as a spring captain, Whit- tingham reported, and Pierce is an in- credible leader, too. Marshall, though … the way he car- ries himself was evident from the first day we spoke with him after he arrived on campus. Listening to him get emotional about Moore's return after the safety's injury issues the last two years put a lump in our throats, too, and showed who he is. "We actually did our condi- tioning test Wednesday. I re- member walking to the weight room with him, and he said, 'I feel the best I've felt in a while,'" Marshall recalled when we asked him about Moore. "I was just, 'I'm happy for you.' Honestly, I want to tear up right now be- cause he's worked so hard to be in the position he is right now, and I'm just happy for him that he's going to be able to play a season and hopefully play the whole season. "He deserves everything. He's worked for it. He works his butt off every single day. He's the captain of this team, a three- time captain, and it's much de- served." As it is with No. 23, a guy who's played through pain, endured poor leadership at the top to persevere, with no complaint. It reminded us of Aidan Hutchinson after the awful 2020 season, and of Tom Brady, who seethed inter- nally in splitting time with Drew Henson in 1999 but never let it show. "People ask for accountability," Mar- shall said. "But once it gets there, they realize how hard it really is … "Sometimes I need guys to tell me, 'We need you.' That's what this team is about. We hold each other to that. I want to be the same guy every day. Every time I step on that field, I want to bring energy. I want to bring juice. I want guys to know what they're getting from me." They do, and they've said as much. That's what makes Marshall special, and an obvious choice to help lead the 2026 Wolverines this fall. ❏ Junior running back Jordan Marshall, sixth-year safety Rod Moore (above), sophomore quarterback Bryce Underwood and senior defen- sive tackle Trey Pierce are Michigan's captains this season. PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER Chris Balas has been with The Wolverine since 1997. Contact him at cbalas@ thewolverine.com and follow him on X (Twitter) @Balas _ Wolverine. INSIDE MICHIGAN ❱ CHRIS BALAS In Good Hands