Michigan youth movement validated by ESPN freshman rankings

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Michigan football had something of a youth movement in 2025. The starting quarterback, one starting wide receiver, the starting running back, and three starting offensive linemen were either true freshmen or redshirt freshmen by year's end.

Now, new head coach Kyle Whittingham inherits quite a few young players with a full-year's worth of experience, and two of his younger players made ESPN's list of top freshmen from 2025.

Starting with the aforementioned wide receiver, Andrew Marsh had been rumored to be a potential transfer portal entry, however, he reportedly came to an agreement to return in 2026. He comes in at No. 17 on the list.

17. Andrew Marsh, WR, Michigan Wolverines

A four-star recruit out of Texas, Marsh chose Michigan over the likes of Texas, Oklahoma, USC and Kentucky, but he played fewer than 40 snaps through the first four weeks of the season. The Wolverines might wish they had accelerated that timeline. Marsh broke out in an Oct. 4 win over Wisconsin and, despite the lack of targets early, led Michigan in receptions (45), receiving yards (651) and touchdowns (four). His 69-yard touchdown catch against USC was Michigan's most explosive scoring play through the air in 2025. Marsh is surehanded, versatile and capable of stretching defenses. Star freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood is likely No. 1 on Kyle Whittingham's list as he settles in, but retaining Marsh shouldn't be far behind.

But he's not the only Wolverine to make the cut.

Of course, Bryce Underwood was on everyone's lips to start the season, and while he looked the part of the freshman phenom in Week 1, Week 2 against Oklahoma proved to be more difficult. He was intermittent in his first year, and without a bona fide quarterbacks coach, he saw little progression in his skills over the course of the year.

Underwood already announced his return, and he will be back in 2026. He also made the cut, coming in four spots below Marsh.

21. Bryce Underwood, QB, Michigan Wolverines

The nation's top recruit entered the season under immense scrutiny, and while Underwood didn't always meet expectations, there are plenty of positives for Kyle Whittingham and his staff to assess as they take over in Ann Arbor. At one point, Underwood guided Michigan to five consecutive wins, including a signature win over Washington. But there were also growing pains. Underwood threw for just 11 touchdowns and endured a rough outing against Ohio State.In many ways, his Citrus Bowl performance against Texas was a microcosm for his season: flashes of a dual-threat brilliance, but also some crippling mistakes including three interceptions. Still, Underwood's upside is evident, and Devon Dampier's emergence as a playmaker for Utah under Whittingham in 2025 could offer a blueprint for unlocking Underwood moving forward.

That certainly gives Whittingham and staff an enigmatic duo to work with this season.

This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Two Michigan freshmen land on ESPN’s top players from 2025 list

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