With Colston Loveland off to the NFL and sophomore Hogan Hansen injured for much of the season, Michigan had to look at different options to fill out its tight end group in 2025. One that emerged as a reliable option was junior Zack Marshall, who slowly saw his role increase and could be a starter for the first time in his career.
Here’s a look at how Marshall got to this point and what to expect from him in 2026.
The story so far
A native of Carlsbad, California, Marshall wasn’t the highest-rated of recruits, being
listed as a three-star prospect in the 2023 cycle. His offer list wasn’t robust either, as Michigan was able to land his commitment in Aug. 2022 over Utah, Arizona, Boise State, Cal and UCLA.
Marshall officially joined the program in 2023 and didn’t serve as much more than a special teams and scout team player for the first two years of his career, particularly due to guys like Colston Loveland, A.J. Barner and Marlin Klein getting much of the shine.
Entering the 2025 season, it looked like Marshall would still face an uphill battle for playing time with Klein and Hansen ahead on the depth chart. With Hansen sidelined for much of the season, though, and the passing attack needing help anywhere it could get it, Marshall was eventually given his chance to show what he could do.
Marshall’s breakout performance came in the Big House last season against Washington. On the day, he recorded five receptions for 72 yards and scored his first career touchdown. Two weeks later, he posted three receptions and 58 yards in a win over Purdue.
For the season, Marshall finished with 16 receptions for 199 yards and one touchdown. Even without a ton of playing time, he showed he can make an impact in the run and receiving games.
Outlook for 2026
There’s something to be said for college players that bide their time with one program, developing their skills while waiting for a larger opportunity. Although he didn’t see the field much for the first two and a half seasons, Marshall has put himself in a position to be a bigger contributor for the Wolverines during his senior season.
Michigan’s offense will likely have a more spread look to it in 2026 under new head coach Kyle Whittingham and offensive coordinator Jason Beck, meaning more 11 personnel (one running back, one tight end) to attack opposing defenses.
With only one tight end on the field for much of the time, Marshall seems like a good bet to get most of the snaps thanks to his ability as a blocker and the great progress he showed as a pass-catcher in the latter half of last season. He showed real fearlessness over the middle of the field, the slipperiness to find open spots in the defense, and an ability to pick up extra yards after the catch.
But it’s no guarantee Marshall puts up big numbers with a deep group of wide receivers that’ll likely get more targets. And even if Marshall is the starting tight end, Hansen should be back healthy and will get snaps, too.
Regardless of how many targets, receptions or yards he gets, Marshall has made some major strides in his career, going from a relatively unheralded recruit to being a potential starter. We’ll see if he has one last rung on the ladder to climb to make a big impact for the Michigan offense.
