While some players have hype during an offseason, that's kind of not the case for Michigan football wide receiver Andrew Marsh.
Entering his second year with the program and in college football, Marsh's hype came in-season last year, when he supplanted starter Channing Goodwin after the fourth game of the season. And his stock kept rising from there.
But with Marsh, the expectations are so high, it's not even like he's getting spoken of as a player who is about to break out. Instead, it's more of a foregone conclusion that he will.
Tight end Zack Marshall says that's due to his work ethic. He's taken big strides this offseason, and the thought is that he'll take a massive step forward rather than a simple continuation of what he did a year ago.
And he's been able to do that because he's more mature than the average sophomore, Marshall says.
"He attacks the exact same way when he walked in the first day to now," Marshall said. "Do what you're told to the best of your ability. No excuses. No explanations. Be here. Be about the team. Handle yourself as a professional. And that's exactly what Andrew Marsh does.
"A lot of guys could work on emulating that. I mean, kids that come in at 17 years old, they're not going to be professionals right away. Sorry. A lot of guys make screw-ups. I mean, you see things about whether it's social media, whether it's what we've been accused of doing. That's the real world. People aren't grown up when they show up. But by the time you're done here, you've got to be a man. That's one of the things that Greg Harden taught us. It's not just growing up on the football field or growing up outside of here.
"Andrew Marsh grew up in a day. He's handled it better than anyone I know."
With Marsh being the bona fide No. 1 wide receiver, that means that he'll be the go-to, the player who quarterback Bryce Underwood will look to first on any given play. Though that might mean fewer opportunities for the other pass catchers, Marshall says that's not a concern.
Because a rising tide lifts all ships, and with Marsh getting more opportunities, it should open up the field for others. And if not, Marsh's success is still the team's success.
"I get to be in the offense," Marshall said. "I get to be on the field with him. I got to watch him make a crazy catch against Northwestern, the go ball on the right side of the field. Yeah, I was wide open on my out route. I didn't care. He caught the ball. You know what I mean? Everyone gets theirs when we all have success."
Fall camp will continue until game week, when Michigan football will switch gears in earnest to face off against Western Michigan on September 5 at The Big House.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Andrew Marsh is ready to lead Michigan football offense
