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Hello: Jordan Marshall
Sometimes you get your little brother excited when you're playing basketball and let him get the lead. Then you just come back and take it back.
JUST GOT A BEAST!!! pic.twitter.com/szhssjb78H
— Mike Hart (@MHart2032) March 21, 2023
Michigan's Ohio Strategy is starting to become a blitzkreig, as Michigan's top running back target, and the #3 player in Ohio, just committed to the school of De'Veon Smith, Gene Derricotte, Fitz Toussaint, Rob Lytle, and Bob Chappuis.
Unlike some historical Ohio guys like Dick Sygar, Richard Vick, Tom Curtis, Desmond Howard and Charles Woodson, this latest RB liberated from the Land of Bad Presidents looks like he's going to stay in the backfield. He's also the second head-to-head recruiting win over the Buckeyes in as many days, with both Marshall's and that Hillman coming out of last weekend's visitpocalypse.
Huge kudos are in order for Mike Hart, whose recruiting was starting to get questioned in these parts and others. Go ahead and take a gloat, underrated man, and when you're done we'll see what you've wriggled your way into this time.
GURU RATINGS
I know what you're thinking and yes, so far we've avoided the 5-star curse.*
RATINGS BY SITE |
|||
---|---|---|---|
247: 5'10.5/193 |
On3: 5'10.5/190 |
Rivals: 6'0/200 |
ESPN: 5'11/195 |
4*, 91, #176 Ovr #13 RB, #5 OH |
4*, 93, #79 Ovr #6 RB, #3 OH |
4*, 5.9, #55 Ovr #3 RB, #2 OH |
4*, 82, #189 Ovr #15 RB, #8 OH |
4.23 | 4.57 | 4.65 | 4.20 |
COMPOSITE RANKINGS |
|||
247 Composite |
On3 Consensus |
MGoBlog |
|
4*, 0.9548, #91 Ovr #7 RB, #3 OH |
4*, 93.21, #90 Ovr #6 RB, #3 OH |
4.5*, #153/778 Ovr #16/60 RBs since 1990 |
|
4.55 | 4.32 | 4.44 |
Rivals is the closest to flirting with a 5th star, but still have him rated two levels below the dreaded 6.1 rating. ESPN has him behind ten guys in the SEC footprint, nine of whom they have ranked higher than any other site. 247 and Rivals have both started to downgrade the position in general—247's top RB is currently a 4-star and ranked 41st overall (their 2nd RB is Taylor Tatum at 49th, who has a crystal ball to Michigan). 247 moved him up to a 91 just yesterday.
[AFTER THE JUMP: How important was Marshall for Ohio State?]
SCOUTING
Make no mistake, this was a huge recruiting win for Hart and Michigan. That much is evident just from the titles of the articles.
Yes, you get it. Tell me you didn't enjoy the scroll anyways? Well you're gonna enjoy the hell out of the rest of this, since every scout who sees the MaxPreps junior All-American falls in love for all the good reasons, and not the overrated one. 247's OSU guy Bill Kurelic reported Marshall's been OSU's top RB target in this class since he passed the look test at Ohio State's camp.
Marshall has a nice burst, cuts on a dime and accelerates well coming out of his cuts.
These remained the highlights to 247's Midwest analyst Allen Trieu when it came time for the official scouting report a month ago:
Has been a star and highly productive against very good high school competition. Has an innate feel for the position, good vision and finds running lanes. Reads his blocks and shows good patience. Has balance and keeps his feet through contact. Not used as much as a downfield receiver but shows good hands and natural pass-catching skills. Has gone out to some events and been timed. Has good straight speed. He is not quite elite in terms of his measureables but they are good and then when you combine his intangibles and position skills into that, he is a no-brainer national back. He should be a very reliable, productive college starter at a major program.
Trieu calls Marshall a "high floor, safe prospect." National recruiting analyst Clint Cosgrove agrees on the floor, disagrees about the implied ceiling.
"Marshall has as much upside as any back in the country and his floor may be just as high as his ceiling. He is the perfect fit for Michigan's ground and pound style of play, but at the same time Marshall brings many of the same attributes that you find in an all-purpose back."
… Big Ten size, burst, speed and power. … He is incredibly skilled between the tackles and is the type of back who's just as likely to hit a big gain by running through a defender as he is by making them miss. … his vertical burst when coming out of cuts and speed to hit the home run off the edge make him a lethal perimeter running threat as well.
Trieu's comp was Damien Harris, the Alabama RB who was once committed to Michigan, because what's life without a little pain? Harris also loved Mike Hart, and modeled his game after him. The difference: Harris clocked a 4.4 at the Army Combine and had his coach talking about mutant speed. Trieu's characterization of Marshall doesn't sound anything like that.
Marshall's coach's characterization does.
“He is physical and fast, very competitive and he’s an all-around back. His abilities meant everything to the Moeller offense.”
On3's evaluation is mostly a quote from Moeller's old coach, and reads a lot like freshman Charbonnet($).
He’s a complete back and can do everything that you’re looking for,” former Moeller coach Mark Elder told On3’s The Wolverine. “He’s a kid who’s great in pass protection and is physical, tough, and strong. He can be kept on third downs when you need him to protect and pick up blitzes. He’s smart when recognizing schemes. He’s just a weapon out of the backfield. He has great hands. You can flex him out or even throw it him out of the backfield. He’s really good in that regard. As a runner, he has all of the tools you look for. He has great vision and patience. He’s fast. He can run by you. He can run over you. He can make you miss. There’s not an aspect of his game that’s lacking right now.”
For a take from their staff we go to EJ Holland ($):
So why is Marshall such a big land? Marshall is a perfect fit for the system. The 5-foot-10, 190-pounder has a compact build and is an extremely tough runner between the tackles. Marshall may not have elite speed, but he does have enough juice to break long runs. He is at his best when he can pound and wear down defenses. Marshall embraces contact and runs through people. He’s the embodiment of the aforementioned SMASH mentality. Marshall has ultra-productive at Ohio powerhouse Moeller, where he faces stiff competition every week.
Getting one from ESPN is usually a lost cause, but TomVH responded to our bat signal with what it means for the rivalry. At Rivals, Jared Halus also struggled to look past Michigan accomplishing a thing they haven't even attempted since Tom was writing about Brionte Dunn for us. But they got there($):
It doesn't take a long time watching Jordan Marshall to realize he is a special talent. It is difficult to find a glaring weakness in his game, as the 6-foot, 200-pound prospect has the frame of a linebacker, the speed and burst of a running back, and the power of a fullback.
Steve Lorenz, like the rest of us, were surprised by the commitment. However he's not shy about what to expect next.
I fully expect Marshall to be a year one player, need or not.
The Wolverine's Zach Libby spoke to Moeller's coach Mark Elder, who mentioned a few skills($) you don't normally see from a high schooler:
He’s a kid who’s great in pass protection and is physical, tough, and strong. He can be kept on third downs when you need him to protect and pick up blitzes. He’s smart when recognizing schemes. He’s just a weapon out of the backfield. He has great hands. You can flex him out or even throw it him out of the backfield. He’s really good in that regard. As a runner, he has all of the tools you look for. He has great vision and patience. He’s fast. He can run by you. He can run over you. He can make you miss. There’s not an aspect of his game that’s lacking right now.
Libby took in the St. Xavier game, was told "be ready to be amazed($)," and came away particularly impressed with Marshall's composure. Libby also noted Moeller used a stable of four RBs, since running more is generally their counter to running lots. At the end of the road trip Libby had Marshall on top of the board($).
Marshall is the quintessential all-around running back, whose muscular defined 5-foot-11 and 195-pound make him a bowling ball in-between the tackles
The #1 overall recruit for 2025 was #2.
For what it's worth, many of the headlines in The Scroll were the work of Libby's OSU counterpart Matt Parker, who's been on about Marshall as a Buckeye priority since the start of the cycle, offering a comp (video).
His game mirrors that of former Buckeye great J.K. Dobbins. Marshall has all the size and power to run through people, but he also has the speed and elusiveness to run past people too.
Parker later went into detail why losing Marshall would be like losing 42-27 and 45-23.
Ohio State may have a mass exodus at running back after the ’23 season. Miyan Williams is leaving and then, TreVeyon Henderson and Evan Pryor will both be draft-eligible. The Buckyes could have three running backs leave, so landing a major running back in ’24 is essential. Jordan Marshall‘s the No. 6 running back by On3 and he’s an in-state kid. Ohio State’s main competition is Michigan for Jordan Marshall. They can’t lose that recruiting battle. They just can’t.
But they did.
OFFERS
The works. A classic Michigan-Ohio State battle with Tennessee and Wisconsin the interlopers. Oregon would have been fifth on his list if not for distance, via Kurelic. Penn State was after him until OSU's territorial focus scared them off.
HIGH SCHOOL
Archbishop Moeller is a highlight on the Ohio recruiting trail, particularly because they and the Cincinnati area in general have not been as locked down for Ohio State as other parts of the state. That's been true for a long time—my 2011 series on Ohio notes over 40% of the 4-stars produced by the region went out of conference, and only about a quarter went to OSU, versus 50%+ for the rest of the state.
Moeller puts out at least a 3-star every year. Notable 4-stars include OSU's Jake Hausmann and Notre Dame QB Andrew Hendrix.
The last to go to Michigan was Zach Carpenter. Historically, Jack Harpring, Vada Murray, Eric Wendt, and Paul Barry came out of there. When MSU was getting rich in Ohio it was using Moeller as a pipeline, drawing Matt Dotson, Shane Jones, Greg Jones, Monty Madaris, Matt Coughlin and Marcus Rush, among others. Kentucky had moved in more recently.
Cincinnati is named for the George Washington of Roman history. Look him up someday.
STATS
MaxPreps lists a junior year of 1,951 rushing yards and 30 TDs, plus 19 passes for 364 yards and 4 TDs. His sophomore season was almost as good: 1,155 yards on 166 carries (6.96 YPC) and 22 TDs, plus 427 receiving yards.
FAKE 40 TIME
None listed. That's fake. Everyone has a 40 time. My 9-year-old has a 40 time on her Hoverboard. Yes, my siblings got her a hoverboard, and yes the thing she wanted to do with it was run a 40-yard dash. I also forgot it so I'm going to make one up: 4.5. There ya go. This gets five FAKES out of five because I just made up what my daughter goes on a hoverboard and applied it to a running back from Cincinnati.
VIDEO
Junior highlights:
Note that the wheel route vs rival/fellow powerhouse St. Xavier was the game-winner of a 20-17 thriller.
I love this cut, and the TD dance that follows:
Moeller takes the lead thanks to this touchdown from Jordan Marshall.
— Matt Parker (@MattParkerLR) September 17, 2022
13-10 with 10:48 in the fourth quarter. pic.twitter.com/VWYJ4MtP0m
Sophomore highlights and individual games are available on his Hudl page.
ETC.
Plays baseball, and volunteers as a youth sports counselor. Weighted 4.23 GPA. Today in people making comps to Mike Hart:
"Me and coach Hart are really close. He’s my guy. We’re pretty much the same person, like, it’s crazy. So it’s just really special knowing the connection that we have. Plus, they run that ball.”
Imagine if he's fast.
* IS THERE A 5-STAR RUNNING BACK CURSE?
The 5-star curse isn't really a thing. I highlighted the 5-star ratings in my database since 1990:
I'll give you it was crap luck/industry holes that Baraka, Green, Walker, and Isaac were all busts, but Fargas and Charbonnet were very good backs displaced to the Pac X by even better backs, and Powers, Edwards, Wheatley, and A-Train were hits.
Counterpoint: The most recent "hit" before Edwards was 1997, and Edwards can be explained by hiding out at receiver. Also I evidently haven't convinced myself it's not a thing, because I'm honestly a bit relieved that Marshall's ranked where he is.
PREDICTION BASED ON FLIMSY EVIDENCE
First of all I want to give a hat tip to the Moeller coach and Marshall's offensive line. I don't remember the last time I watched film of a high school team executing Power schemes so well. I wasn't on the Zach Carpenter writeup but I can see how a program like 2018 Michigan would have been very interested in whoever's playing center for a school like this. A hypothetical UFR of this tape would be an OL bonanza.
That said, they left plenty for Marshall to create himself, and there you got to see the subtleties that make his game. Well, subtleties and one attribute that hits you over the head with a hammer: this dude *accelerates*! That plus his little shifts make him murder on safeties and create the bad angles that set up the missed tackles. Marshall doesn't have the pure explosion of Corum, but he has something like it, as well as a very good sense of timing his cuts with blocking. I can see why they make a Dobbins comparison—Corum is the better Dobbins comp—and why they're impressed with this North-South-itude (or South-North in this case). That is a back properly timing his explosion with the impact of a puller.
And that is a back who's going to play immediately. Corum technically could play another year but he's almost certainly off to the draft, and Donovan Edwards will be eligible for it. Even if Edwards stays, Michigan effectively needs two starters, and the door is wide open behind him for a true freshman to overtake what's on the roster. And even if Cole Cabana is everything we dreamed, the Corum role needs someone to fill it. I don't think Marshall will need too long to pass Stokes, Mullings, Dunlap, Franklin, Gash, and Hall, especially if it's true about his pass protection. Running back is a position where being a freshman doesn't matter as much except in that one thing. Plan on Marshall getting the 2nd or 3rd most carries in 2024, and a lot after, ideally in a one-two punch with Cabana.
UPSHOT FOR THE REST OF THE CLASS
Michigan's class is now, finally, starting to come together. They're at six guys, Michigan fans were hoping the big recruiting weekend would yield a commitment from 5* QB Jadyn Davis, who in turn could topple a bunch of dominoes on the verge of falling their way. Marshall will serve, and his early commitment could well give the class an even more Ohio flavor than we anticipated as Michigan can now push even deeper into the state.
Checking in on Ohio State's top 10 prospects as of last June according to Bill Kurelic, two (Marshall and Luke Hamilton) are committed to Michigan, and two more (Ben Roebuck and Brian Robinson) are expected to be eventually, while one, the little cousin of current Buckeye TE Cade Stover, is pledged to OSU. The War as it stands:
If you zoom in that swath through Columbus is actually two lines.
With the fall of Marshall there's nothing preventing Michigan from marching directly to cornerback Aaron Scott, the top prospect in the state. The guns are already sounding.
#Top100 CB Aaron Scott, who just visited Michigan on Sunday, reacts to the Jordan Marshall commitment
— Zach Libby (@LibbyOn3) March 21, 2023
- aaronscott.jr/IG pic.twitter.com/1NdRJaKuoB
Terhyon Nichols could also fall if they turn their guns in that direction($). If Ohio State loses Scott, even Bryce West in the impregnable fortress of Glenville is under threat.
On other fronts, Michigan's pursuit of fellow elite RB Taylor Tatum, though a different kind of back, is probably more difficult. Tatum was already getting crystal balled to Michigan because of the cultural fit, but also because Marshall was expected to stretch deep into the cycle. Lorenz admits he thought Tatum was more likely to be in the class($). Holland also thinks this sets them back with Tatum($), but far from out of the race. Two backs is still the plan, so if they can't get Tatum Michigan could likely move quickly with bruising TX 3* Harry Stewart, who was up for visitageddon and is a favorite of Hart.
As for whether the class should have more than seven guys in it, yeah they're a bit behind the modern average for non-transition Michigan classes, but not as bad as last year's.
decommits not included because they're too hard to add back in.
THE CLASS AS IT STANDS
OFFENSE | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Pos | Player | State | Stars | In a nutshell |
RB | Jordan Marshall | OH | 4.4⬆ | Accelerates South-North |
TE | Hogan Hansen | WA | 4.1⬆⬆ | Colston Loveland West |
OT | Luke Hamilton | OH | 4.0⬇ | Midwestern mauler |
DEFENSE | ||||
Pos | Player | State | Stars | In a nutshell |
DT | Ted Hammond | OH | 4.0⬆ | Cincy build-a-bear |
DT | Manuel Beigel | CT | 3.6 | Lengthy German via Choate |
MLB | Mason Curtis | TN | 4.2⬆ | Long athlete moving up |
S | Jacob Oden | MI | 4.2 | Tall son of coach |
Our 2024 recruiting board lives here.
March 22nd, 2023 at 12:14 PM ^
Just a quick note: it’s Paul Berry. Not Barry Paul. (Eric Wendt was in my graduating class, by the way).
Oh man, what an oops. Just a typo.
March 22nd, 2023 at 12:15 PM ^
The 'Class Before March 22' heatmap is backwards. 5-stars need to be displayed in bold, beautiful green going over to yellow, then orange, then ... blue? red? At first glance I see much green and think: Did we have that many 5- and 4-stars?
Also, watched the video on Marshall. Seems like a class act. Great get for the program.
I've been making that heatmap thing for over a decade with those colors. Never even thought to change it.
Agreed. I would make two changes and invert the order with lower rated players on the left and higher rated on the right. Also invert the color scheme so the more questionable recruits are red and the 5-stars are blue. As in the top rated "blue chips".
March 22nd, 2023 at 12:16 PM ^
...this latest RB liberated from the Land of Bad Presidents...
Excuse me, but I think you're confusing SW Ohio with Bad Ohio. SW Ohio gave us Grant and Taft. One helped save the Union and the other was also a President.
March 22nd, 2023 at 12:33 PM ^
I came here to say don’t knock Grant. Some revisionist history by the Daughters of the Confederacy morphed that quite a bit.
March 22nd, 2023 at 12:42 PM ^
Grant was, I think, a very underrated President. Certainly the best of the post-Lincoln decades. He was also surprisingly progressive, although Order 11 was and is an awful thing to have done.
March 22nd, 2023 at 12:54 PM ^
For sure it was, no excuse there but pretty progressive for him to own that and apologize for it.
My wife got me a 1st edition of his memoirs when I graduated with my master’s degree. It’s one of my prized possessions. The story of how it wrote them amazes me.
March 22nd, 2023 at 12:22 PM ^
blake corum 2.0
beautiful. go blue!
March 22nd, 2023 at 12:29 PM ^
My hoverboard is faster though.
March 22nd, 2023 at 12:31 PM ^
His ceiling is the roof!
I use that comment whenever we win a recruiting battle with UNC.
his floor may be just as high as his ceiling
That guy might not understand how buildings work
Probably needs differential equations.
March 22nd, 2023 at 12:34 PM ^
Interesting graphic....I opened up the site to see a crotch shot morph the scoreboard lol
March 22nd, 2023 at 12:53 PM ^
Hey Jadyn LFG!!! Momentum is building and the explosion happens with you!
March 22nd, 2023 at 12:57 PM ^
As a Michigan who lived in SW Ohio for about 15 years, this isn't that surprising from a geography standpoint. The UM Alumni Club of Cincy is pretty strong and always attracted high quality students when I was doing volunteer HS college fairs on UM's behalf back in the day. But it is an island culturally-- you go up 75 and Dayton area is very much Buckeye country. So if Michigan is going to make inroads (repave if you will) into Ohio, it's gotta be Cincy, Toledo suburbs and into Cleveland pariochial schools. Dayton, Columbus, Youngstown will be OSU areas through and through.
As OSU seemingly emphasizes the passing game more each year, and RBs star at Michigan, that has to play a role in our ability to recruit the position, just as OSU gets its pick of WR every year. Pretty sweet to take an Ohio kid they really wanted in Columbus.
I think Allen Trieu nailed it....
Trieu calls Marshall a "high floor, safe prospect."
When i watch him, i personally do not see superstar, but see an absolute starting tailback for 2/3 years that will be extremely productive at Michigan. A 3rd/4th round pick in the NFL draft guy. A guy who can do everything at a high level, but nothing elite.
This is a major get for Michigan. This is not a (who was that athletic texas running back who jumped over pickup trucks?) or a Cole Cabana. This is a for sure lock starting tailback in a power 5 conference.
I look at his highlights and I see Mo Ibrahim. I would be extremely happy with that outcome.
That is one of the best commitment interviews I have ever seen.
Welcome young man and congrats on following the footsteps of Woodson, Howard, and many others across the state border to the North.
Your first job is to convince Tatum to come be the Edwards to your Corum. Next is to encourage as many of your fellow Ohioans to follow you hoMe.
Go Blue!!
The state of Bad Presidents.
Cincinnatus, the George Washington of Ancient Rome.
MGoBlog: education with your sports news.
(Also: welcome!)
Speed, power, and vision...this is the perfect type of player to break the will of an opponent. To "Fred Jackson" it: he runs like Hassan Haskins, but fast(er).
Can't wait to reload the RB room!
I never post but this has been eating me up... Am I the only one confused by the fact Zach Ludwig has never been mentioned as a commit by this blog?
I've been treating him as a preferred walk-on. I've been keeping up with him in my database (see link below) because he's got rankings, same as I did with Joey Klunder last year. It's kind of a gray area these days because NIL can substitute for a scholarship and I don't know the specifics of Ludwig's offer, but for now I'm treating him like we've always treated PWOs.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kXyhlMo2Yzfgv9QGhnyeJp65DL9mUxF…
Perfect, this makes sense! Thanks Seth.
March 22nd, 2023 at 10:02 PM ^
I really hope they can get Tatum too. I think those 2 guys will be like Corum/Edwards part II. Tatum is definitely more of a home run threat, but Marshall is really great with the cuts and like you said, getting north and south quickly.
March 22nd, 2023 at 10:10 PM ^
Impressive interview sheesh. I could barely talk this well as a 28 year old.
I had the privilage of interviewing Jordan in February. He's such a humble kid, with great life goals ahead of him.
When I was talking to him he stressed that what he wanted the most, was to give back to his community, and to help kids that are in difficult circumstances. He stressed that God did not put him here to be a football player, but a vessel to share God's love. What a kid. Feels a lot like the second coming of Blake Corum, in terms of his character. I can't wait to see him suit of for the Wolverines. Good luck Jordan!
The J-Train Express is coming and although this Ohio train is on fire, it will not be derailed! The future is so freaking bright! Go Blue! LFG!!!!
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