Name: Zack Marshall
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 235 lbs.
High school: Carlsbad (CA) Carlsbad
Position: Tight end
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #83
Last year: I ranked Marshall #83 and said he would be a backup tight end (LINK). He played in two games.
TTB Rating: 58
Marshall was a little light as a freshman in 2023, but the coaching staff seemed to like him in the spring, so it seemed like they would try to find a way to get him on the field a little bit. He ended up playing in two games, which got him a bit of experience (6 snaps) while allowing him to keep his redshirt. The tight end position was already stocked very well with Colston Loveland, A.J. Barner, Matt Hibner, and others, so it wasn't a spot where a true freshman was needed to contribute.
I hoped for Marshall to be a little heftier in 2024, but it doesn't look like he added sufficient weight to be a major factor. Most guys who break through are at least in the 240s. So this might be a little high for Marshall in the countdown. He's an H-back type at this size who will need to move around instead of putting his hand down on the line, and Michigan has better blockers (Max Bredeson) and more athletic players (Colston Loveland, Marlin Klein) who can fill those roles. Perhaps another year of adding weight will be needed before he sees a big uptick in playing time.
Prediction: Backup tight end
In this case I do think the weight is factor for him to play in-line TE. We've got flex covered between Loveland and Klein and H-back covered with Bredeson it seems but would really benefit from a reliable traditional TE (dual threat; in-line blocker and downfield receiver) to emerge. Marshall is still just a soph but it would have been nice to see him put on more weight in the off-season and put himself more firmly in the conversation with the openings created with Barner, Beetham and Hibner departing one year after Schoonmacher, Honiford, and All left.
ReplyDeleteThe TE room has really thinned out dramatically from 2 years ago. Klein is stepping up it seems, Bredeson and Loveland are going to see elevated snaps most likely, but Michigan needs a few others to emerge given all the snaps that have departed.
It's still hard to see a big role for Marshall if the other guys are healthy but Michigan has played a big number of TEs in recent years so Marshall maybe an X-factor at H-back.
Yes, weight does matter. It's not the single qualifier, but it matters
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to how the staff mixes in extra OL v TE without making the former an obvious non-threat down field
There have been rumors coming out of camp that Evan Link might be the Trente Jones-like tight end this year.
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