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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — First, Michigan football had to pull something of a coup, managing to get 247Sports’ No. 82 player in the country, wide receiver Andrew Marsh, over some of his other big offers (schools like Texas, Ohio State, Alabama, and USC). But then, it put Marsh to work.
In late October, Marsh was in town for a recruiting visit as a commitment. And while in town, he learned that the nation’s No. 1 overall recruit, quarterback Bryce Underwood, was playing a high school game with his Belleville team traveling to Howell. It was the start of things heating up between Michigan and Underwood. The general public was still pretty well convinced that Underwood flipping from LSU to the Wolverines was nothing more than a local pipe dream.
Even still, Marsh made his way about 30 minutes north — as did general manager Sean Magee — to help make his pitch to Underwood to stay in Michigan. Now, Marsh is catching passes from Underwood, both as loyal Wolverines, but he recalled that moment from a year ago on Tuesday as Michigan prepares for USC.
“Yeah, I did a little bit to help let him know,” Marsh said. “I was up here for a visit. The coaches were saying that he was having a game. I was up here — I think it was Friday or something like that. So I was like, might as well just go out there and let him know what’s up. Chop it up with him.
“So I got out there. After the game, we kind of talked a little bit. Just let him know what’s up. Just told him we could go make something special happen.”
Did he think he was successful in his pitch? Obviously, he ended up being so, and he did feel like he made an impact. And while he might not have been in the dark as much as the general public, he wasn’t quite sure that Underwood would pull the trigger and stay home.
“I definitely knew a little bit about it. Definitely knew a little bit about it. I wasn’t like a done deal,” Marsh said. “I didn’t know about anything for sure. But we had definitely talked.”
Now, the two are working together to revitalize the Wolverine passing game. But they’re also building chemistry off the field.
Marsh noted that Bryce ‘does normal things, kind of like you all do and stuff like that,’ but that the duo is growing closer the longer they’re on the team together. Both enrolled early and have been with the maize and blue since December. But their connection is growing all the more, and that could pay dividends in games.
“I would say we just spent a lot of time outside and football together,” Marsh said. “Just doing simple things, going to eat. Getting a few classes together and stuff like that. I would say that all brought us close together on the field.”
Marsh is now a starter at wide receiver, with his first game with that distinction coming last week against Wisconsin. He joins Underwood as the other true freshman on offense with that honor. Both certainly hope that their chemistry on the field will be apparent on Saturday when the Wolverines travel to Los Angeles to face the Trojans at the Coliseum.
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