Michigan beat Washington, 24-7, on Saturday, thanks to the help of some of true freshmen. Safety/nickel Jordan Young burned his redshirt in this game, while wide receiver Jamar Browder, linebacker Chase Taylor, and cornerback Shamari Earls are just one game away from burning theirs.
Here are the freshmen who have seen playing time this season. An asterisk (*) indicates they saw playing time against Washington:
- QB Bryce Underwood* (7 games)
- RB Jasper Parker* (3 games)
- WR Andrew Marsh* (7 games)
- WR Jacob Washington (1 game)
- WR Jamar Browder* (4 games)
- TE Eli Owens (1 game)
- OL Avery Gach (1 game)
- OL Kaden Strayhorn (1 game)
- OL Ty Haywood (1 game)
- Edge Nate Marshall* (6 games)
- DL Benny Patterson (4 games)
- DL Travis Moten (1 game)
- DL Bobby Kanka (1 game)
- LB Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng* (2 games)
- LB Chase Taylor* (4 games)
- DB Elijah Dotson* (6 games)
- DB Jordan Young* (5 games)
- DB Jayden Sanders* (7 games)
- DB Shamari Earls* (4 games)
- DB Kainoa Winston (1 game)
The Bryce Underwood-Andrew Marsh connection continues to click each week. While Underwood may
have found the tight ends more often in this game, Marsh still came away with five catches for 72 yards and a touchdown. The coaching staff should continue to incorporate him into the offense, and it’s clear he has the trust of his quarterback.
Underwood still had a couple of mistakes, running out of bounds for a self-sack instead of throwing the ball away, but these are young player mistakes that should improve with more reps. He still completed 21-of-27 passes, despite some drops, for 230 yards and two touchdowns.
Michigan’s freshmen defensive backs continue to see playing time on the field. Jayden Sanders had one tackle, but the others didn’t have any meaningful stats. Michigan’s young linebackers saw time on special teams, which makes sense given the depth of the position.
Michigan will need more contributions from these young guys next weekend when the Wolverines head to East Lansing. While we’re still waiting to see if Justice Haynes will be available, we may see more of freshman Jasper Parker, who had six carries for 20 yards against Washington.
