It is July. The actual football season is still a distant mirage, but the draft machine never stops grinding. We do this every year. We project, we dissect, and we pretend we know exactly how a college kid will look in an NFL uniform years down the road. It is a sickness, really. But if you want to stay ahead of the curve, you play the game.
Let’s talk about Michigan running back Jordan Marshall.
The kid is built like a fire hydrant at 5-11 and 216 pounds. He is not some unheralded walk-on. Marshall arrived in Ann Arbor with a serious pedigree, having snatched the Mr. Ohio Football crown and Gatorade Player of the Year honors back in his high school days. By 2025, he was already earning second-team All-Big Ten honors.
The raw data is promising. He racked up 1,052 rushing yards heading into the 2026 season, averaging a highly efficient 5.8 yards per carry. He did this while sharing the load, taking just over 38 percent of the team’s backfield carries. He is incredibly difficult to bring down on first contact. Pro Football Focus clocks him at 3.8 yards after contact, and he forced 46 missed tackles during his campaign. He also chipped in with nine receptions for 92 yards.
He has tools. His burst is genuine. When he sees a crease, he hits it. No dancing. He makes quick, decisive cuts and possesses enough long speed to make defensive coordinators sweat.
Michigan needs to throw him the ball more. His hands are natural, and his movement in space makes him a matchup nightmare for plodding linebackers. He is a weapon waiting to be fully unleashed.
Keep your eyes on him this fall. Or don’t. But when his name gets called on draft day, do not say we did not warn you.
