Previously: Last year’s profiles, K Adam Samaha, K James Turner (Tr), S Brandyn Hillman, CB DJ Waller, CB Cameron Calhoun, CB Jyaire Hill, HSP/LB Jason Hewlett, LB Hayden Moore, LB Semaj Bridgeman, LB Ernest Hausmann (Tr), OLB Breeon Ishmail, DE Aymeric Koumba, DE Enow Etta, DE Josaiah Stewart (Tr), DT Brooks Bahr, DT Cameron Brandt, DT Trey Pierce, OT Evan Link, OT Myles Hinton (Tr), OT LaDarius Henderson (Tr), OG Nathan Efobi, IOL Amir Herring, OC Drake Nugent (Tr), TE Deakon Tonielli

Carlsbad, CA – 6'4"/220
		247: 6'4/220                            3.68*	3*, 88, NR overall #46 ATH, #68 CA
		On3: 6'4/220                            3.84*	3*, 89, NR overall #28 TE, #33 CA
		Rivals: 6'5/210                            3.80*	3*, 5.7, NR overall #28 TE, #34 CA
		ESPN: 6'4/215                            3.64*	3*, 78, #109 West #23 TE-H, #65 CA
		Composite                3.84*/3.83*	3*, #544/#530 Ovr #26 TE, #45 CA
		MGoAverage                            3.76*	3.5*, #557/797 Ovr #38/52 TEs since '90
		YMRMFSPA	Erick All
Other Suitors	Utah, Cal
Previously On MGoBlog	Hello by yours truly.
Notes	Early enrollee. 7v7 team: Seven60
Film:
Senior Highlights:Junior Highlights:Hudl. 4 senior games. One-hander. TD catch. Interview.

Every year Michigan will point at one two athletic receiver-ish tight ends from the myriad tall and athletic guys around the country and decide that's whom they want to Herbertize into pro prospects. For this year's class they had Andrew Rapplyea until Penn State pried him out of the class. When Michigan took Deakon Tonielli the story was they were going to just have one in the class. Then Zachary Marshall came to the BBQ and ran around some.

People wondering how a receiving target of a 5-star QB for SoCal power-program Carlsbad could be a considered a "hidden gem" don't know the full story. Marshall was playing receiver for small Santa Fe Christian Academy, producing 1012 yards and 9 TDs on 44 catches as a junior, also playing defense. Matt Weiss got a tipoff and traveled over there to see him, invited Marshall to the BBQ, and Michigan saw something (via Steve Lorenz):

I'm told Marshall 'absolutely blew (Michigan) away' during a one-on-one workout with the staff before the actual BBQ on Sunday afternoon. His visit was one the Wolverines were looking forward to and now I expect them to go all in for Marshall going forward.

Suddenly two TEs in the class was on again. Marshall committed soon thereafter.

Transfer rules forced him to sit out his first four games at Carlsbad, and by January he was enrolled (and sick in bed) at Michigan.

[After THE JUMP: Not the same article from Wednesday, I swear] 

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Looks Good in a Camp Setting

Let's just get through YES I KNOW, YOU ARE A TIGHT END WHO COMMITTED TO JIM HARBAUGH bits first. He went to camps, so there's scouting, albeit mostly as a jumbo receiver. Rivals' Adam Gorney called him a "physically-gifted but more athletic tight end who has speed and great hands who was "outstanding during the spring" (emphasis mine).

A month after the Michigan offer On3's Charles Power put Marshall in an article about players close to earning a fourth star after Marshall was "a standout at the Elite 11 Finals, catching a number of touchdowns in 7-on-7 play." On3 loved him back in spring 2021 as well, naming Marshall offensive MVP of the camp and "this year's Jayden Virgin":

A year ago, Virgin was an under the radar athlete who shined at this camp and went on to commit to Boise State in June. Marshall has a similar frame, athleticism and positional versatility as Virgin. He’s not as thick but probably a smoother athlete and he had a strong day catching the football. He could grow in to a hybrid h-back/tight end or even play outside ‘backer in college.

The other site at the Elite 11 was 247, which claimed he ran a 4.69 forty with a sub-4.5 shuttle and 31-inch vertical. Marshall himself claims a 4.79 and 4.41 shuttle on his Hudl page.

The scouts translated this as they always do. Lucas Reimink wrote about "a very good athlete"

Marshall has good foot speed, good ball skills, good body control, solid agility, and marginal physical strength.

EJ Holland called both TEs "high-ceiling takes" and admitted his eval was incomplete but

He checks a lot of boxes from an athletic profile standpoint as he moves well for his size and is a natural pass catcher.

24/7's Blair Angulo caught Marshall at a camp last summer($) and got eyes

…looked very good at tight end. He’s a well rounded pass catcher who doesn’t fight the ball and does a nice job of setting up defenders to break free.

Angulo's colleague Greg Biggens compared Marshall to when they saw him a year before:

…made a nice physical jump over the last year and continues to trend up in our rankings as well. We saw him recently at the Team Makasi Camp in San Diego and he earned MVP honors for all positions. … A year ago, we thought he was a bit of a tweener, hybrid receiver/tight end but he now looks like he can definitely play tight end and be a downfield threat.

The scout definitively not using camp performances for his evaluation is Touch the Banner, who was more down on Marshall than any recruit since poor Dom Giudice, IE the last guy to earn a "58":

Perhaps the reason that I forgot so easily about Marshall’s commitment post was that when I reviewed his film, very little jumped off the screen about him. Marshall has just average height (6’4″) and size (220 lbs.). His listed speed of a 4.79 in the forty does not sound like anything special, and indeed, when watching him on film, he is unable to separate in man coverage or show much burst. After catching the ball, he does not show much of an ability to break tackles or any niftiness to elude defenders.

Magnus noted Michigan found playing time for walk-ons and OL at tight end in the last few years but…

does Marshall appear to be head and shoulders above those guys as an athlete? No, he does not.

Jake Butt-Level Routes and Soft Hands

As you might expect from a converted receiver who looked best in 7-on-7s, the nicest compliments are reserved for Marshall as a receiver. Blair Angulo, 247's western scout, described a "well rounded pass catcher who doesn’t fight the ball and does a nice job of setting up defenders to break free." Reimink thought Marshall a flex type.

He’s such a good route runner that his HS team felt comfortable playing him out wide at WR in critical moments as well as in the redzone. He does a good job of sinking his hips when making cuts with an impressive smoothness to the way he does it. He also showcases solid ball skills and good body control when the ball is in the air. He highpoints balls effectively and can go up and get a jump ball in the redzone. He does need to work on securing the ball while taking a hit, as the transition time from when he catches it to when he’s secured it, takes too long.

On3's Charles Power liked Marshall's receiver attributes while also commenting on his growth toward his future position.

….looks to be among the more refined pass catchers among 2023 tight ends. … Marshall is advanced with his route-running and ability to win of the line and create separation with change of direction. He’s coordinated and is a ball-winner in contested catch situations.

Marshall himself said he's unrefined, having picked up some bad traits playing against lower competition.

Even TTB had a nice thing to say here.

… he displays good hands to catch the fastballs thrown by his quarterback (Alabama commit Julian Sayin) and dig out some low throws.

Lacks Physicality

The other thing about a 7v7 receiver when you project him to tight end is there's not a lot of blocking in his tape, innit. Reimink's list of weaknesses probably could have been summarized in a one-syllable word that rhymes with croft.

Weaknesses

• In-Line Blocking
• Physical Strength
• Contested Catches

I mean, this isn't subtle…

In the run game, Marshall possesses the size you like to see in the position but does not yet have the necessary physical strength nor the right mentality to be a true all-around TE at the next level. When lined up as an in-line blocker, he is marginal in his ability to block any type of defender at the POA. It’s both an attitude issue, as well as a physical issue. You can tell he doesn’t fully embrace the blocking aspect of his game. When separated from the LOS, he can be an effective blocker in space when blocking defensive backs on screens and outside runs. Overall, Marshall will likely need to spend the first year or two on campus bulking up and learning how to block effectively at the college level

Reimink also knocked Marshall's physicality when fighting for contested balls, which was an issue on the Zeke Berry interception and the Zeke Berry PBU in spring game. He also made the key block on Benjamin Hall's big run (though it might have been a hold). The other Marshall moment I noticed was when he got bent back by Kechaun Bennett, though without giving up ground.

Even Michigan reporters like The Wolverine's Clayton Safie admit Marshall is "working on switching his mentality" from receiver to tight end. Marshall told TMI's Alejandro Zuniga this himself.

Right away, physicality in the blocking game. I’ve got a little bit to go there. But from a mental perspective, I feel I’ve adjusted really quickly.

And said the same to The Wolverine's Anthony Broome:

Learning how to run the contact [is a priority] and then also trusting the technique because when you’re in high school, you can kind of bear hug dudes … here, I’m blocking guys like Jenkins that are 300 pounds playing maybe 40 inches off the ground. You have to trust your first step. Trust that you’re gonna get power and know where the block’s supposed to be. You have to get in front of him and understand. the play. Then you adjust your technique.

Is he undersized?

The concern with a receiver you intend to big up is he doesn't get there. Marshall said an illness over the winter caused him to fall back to 208 pounds. He reportedly had that up to 230 by spring practice.

The frame doesn't seem to be an issue. EJ Holland thinks there's "plenty of room to add weight," Greg Biggens noted the 6'4"/218 he measured in summer 2022 was 25 pounds heavier than in 2021 and Charles Power said he's made "steady progress physically, adding good mass as he continues to fill out."

Notable for projection purposes, Marshall is the second-youngest member of the class (after Jyaire Hill), having turned 18 just last week. Harbaugh:

Zack, I mean, he just lights up the room, one of those guys that lights up the room with personality. … He’s one of these 17-year-olds that we — you just got to say if they’re 17 compared to somebody who’s 18 or 19, they’ve got another year man growth. … you know when a 17-year-old’s as good or better than 18 or 19 year olds, he’s gonna get better than that 18 and 19-year-old and it’s going to happen fast. Because the year of man-growth comes around 18, 19 years old.

Harbaugh mentioned Rod Moore, another young guy for his class who filled out quickly.

H-back or Y?

It doesn't really matters since Michigan uses its TEs in all situations, but if forced to split hairs Marshall is the H-back type and Tonielli is the Y (inline). This was the plan during his recruitment at least:

they see me as the move guy, the guy who can like up as a wing, in the backfield, as the second inline tight end in ace sets, and also win in open space on route matchups.

And it's something that he said to Zuniga in spring (while also clarifying who's a fullback.)

There's a couple of us that play that H-back role. I’m learning that H-back role. So I'm learning a lot from Breddie. Colston will go into the fullback position every once in a while. But Breddie, that man, if we’re ever running some type of power scheme where we need a fullback in there, that’s our man. He’ll clear that thing out.

However On3 reported Marshall was working at Y behind Colston Loveland in spring. It really makes no difference.

Etc. 4.3 GPA, Ivy League interest (as WR). Youngest of four, one sister plays volleyball at Vandy. Deeply Christian. Like Tonielli, Marshall wants to be useful:

Right now? Find a way to find a way on the field. Find a way to get on the field and make an impact early. I’m not going to start every single game. In those first four games, if I can get some play time, do my job and do it well. From a locker room perspective, be willing to help with anything — inside the building, outside the building.

Why Erick All? Similar size, fooled us all into thinking he was a receiver-in-all-but-name by winning fame as a camp performer who didn't block much, had some early career issues with anticipating contact, turned himself into an excellent blocker at H-back, and was Michigan's most consistent weapon against Georgia.

We're ignoring the part where All had his 2022 ruined by a back injury and left angry over Loveland's ascension and Michigan's assessment of the probably quack doctor he was going to.

Guru Reliability: Medium-high. They got 2/3rds of a senior season at a big school and two summers of camps to take a look at him and came away saying similar things and thinking about that 4th star.

Variance: High. Recently converted receiver who played against low competition then missed an important chunk of his senior year. We have to teach how to block.

Ceiling: High. Another grow-a-2nd-rounder.

Flight Risk Level: Low. Talking about a redshirt, knows he has to develop, Newsome is solid where he is, etc.

General Excitement Level: Moderate++. Baseline 5; +1 for jumbo receiver who had 1,000 yards, +1 for when this program gets cartoon eyes for a tight end prospect they just had on campus, you have to trust them, –1 for they have to teach him how to block from scratch, +1 Caris Levert Memorial is a Year Young upside.

Projection: Getting on campus for spring might have given Marshall a temporary leg up on the competition, but I don't care how many Colston Lovelands you show me, usually a grow-a-TE convert from receiver takes some time to be ready. Call it a four-game redshirt in 2023, and another year of waiting around for Loveland to be draft-eligible and for the clock to run out on AJ Barner and Matthew Hibner. By 2025, Max Bredeson will be a senior, Marlin Klein a redshirt junior, and the 2023 pair redshirt sophomores. Since Michigan uses that many tight ends it's a good bet anyone still here will be playing. I learned my lesson with Erick All; when it comes to tight ends, trust the program.