5 months ago
- Wolverines
- Published: Dec. 29, 2025, 12:47 p.m.
ORLANDO, Fla. — Before tight extremity Zack Marshall picked Michigan, he almost ended up astatine Utah.
Marshall, a three-star precocious schoolhouse imaginable retired of confederate California, fielded respective danasiwa offers from schools retired west. Utah, coached by Kyle Whittingham, was among nan first.
“They were really my No. 2 (choice),” Marshall told reporters Monday greeting during a Citrus Bowl arena astatine Fun Spot America amusement park. “He’s ever been a awesome person; it’s his trading factor, obviously. And he wins games. You triumph games and you’re a bully person, nobody’s going to opportunity no.”
In fact, Whittingham has won plenty. He vanished 177-88 pinch 3 convention titles and 8 double-digit triumph seasons successful 21 years astatine Utah earlier stepping down earlier this month, leaving nan programme to coach-in-waiting Morgan Scalley. But alternatively of retiring, Whittingham, 66, elected to section liking from Michigan, successful dire request of a caput coach aft abruptly firing Sherrone Moore connected Dec. 10.
So erstwhile Whittingham’s sanction started circulating arsenic a imaginable candidate, Marshall couldn’t judge it.
“I knew he benignant of joked astir entering nan coaching transportation portal,” Marshall said. “I was for illustration he’s joking. There’s been plentifulness of guys who person stepped down and said ‘I’ll return different job,’ aliases went and became an adjunct location aliases did thing for illustration that.
“Nope.”
For afloat transparency, Marshall said he didn’t woody overmuch pinch Whittingham during his recruitment. His sojourn to Salt Lake City only lasted astir 10 hours. But he sewage to cognize Whittingham’s brother, Freddie, who served arsenic Utah’s tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator astatine nan time.
And from what he heard astir nan caller Michigan coach, it made Utah an appealing spot to play.
“He was an awesome dude,” Marshall said of Freddie Whittingham. “Talked astir his relative and really family civilization is everything. I retrieve being taken astir by Dalton Kincaid. He’s beautiful celebrated now, but astatine nan clip he had conscionable transferred successful from USD (University of San Diego).”
Utah had a agelong way grounds of utilizing nan tight extremity successful its offense. Kincaid was named an All-American successful 2022 aft he led nan state successful receiving yards by a tight extremity (890), while 2 of Utah’s 3 starring walk catchers successful 2025 are tight ends.
During his introductory news convention connected Sunday, Whittingham said nan tight extremity would stay a awesome usability of his discourtesy astatine Michigan. Consider that euphony to a young tight extremity for illustration Marshall’s ears.
“They put tight ends into nan league,” Marshall said. “Michigan puts tight ends into nan convention much than anyone, but 11, 12, 13 personnel, you cognize what you’re going to get from him.”
Marshall was still waiting for his face-to-face gathering pinch Whittingham arsenic of Sunday morning, but 1 is expected to travel soon. But fixed nan position, characteristic and erstwhile interest, it’s a safe stake to presume Marshall, pinch 2 years of assemblage eligibility remaining, will return successful 2026.
“When they’re nan first group to connection you, springiness you that opportunity and past to spot it benignant of travel afloat circle, it’s unreal,” Marshall said. “Let’s opportunity it arsenic it is: It’s crazy that it worked out.”
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Aaron McMann is nan main hit writer covering nan University of Michigan shot programme for MLive Media Group, wherever he's worked since 2014. He went from covering precocious schoolhouse sports successful nan Flint area to a...
