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Nearing the top five of the Michigan on SI staff ranking of the top 25 most impactful players for the Michigan Wolverines football squad in 2026, No. 6 is the Wolverines' top receiving threat a season ago, Andrew Marsh.
To this point, we have released No. 7-25, with nine of those coming on the offensive side of the ball. Included in that group were three other WR’s, Salesi Moa (No. 22), Jaime Ffrench Jr. (No. 19) and JJ Buchanan (No. 8).
Marsh will look to build off his impressive rookie season, when he emerged as the top WR threat by the end of the year.
Marsh 2025 Recap
As a true freshman, Marsh showed the type of upside he has as a college wide receiver. He finished the season with 45 receptions and 651 receiving yards, both of which led the squad.
Marsh had a breakout performance against Northwestern (Nov. 15), recording 12 catches for 189 yards, earning him Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors.
He earned college freshman All-American honors and was an Honorable Mention All-Conference selection.
Why He Is Important to the Wolverines
With a receiving core full of newcomers, Marsh brings familiarity to QB Bryce Underwood. With the duo already having an established connection, it should help aid the development of Underwood and help him find a rhythm early in the season.
Underwood, who had his ups and downs as a true freshman, will need reliable pass catchers and we have seen Marsh be that for him already.
The Wolverines have always been a primarily run-dominant program, but in today’s college football, you need to at least be a threat through the air. Marsh will be a driving force behind the UofM passing attack.
When asked about the depth chart of the WR room during a press conference in the spring, Marsh was the first one head coach Kyle Whittingham mentioned.
“Andrew Marsh, he’s a tremendous talent,” Whittingham said. “That’s very evident. And Jamie Ffrench, that we brought in from Texas, has done a really nice job. Salesi Moa, our true freshman, has really looked sharp in the workouts. JJ Buchanan, transfer from Utah. Those are probably the top four.
2026 Outlook for Marsh
If Underwood can get things going through the air and Whittingham and new offensive coordinator, Jason Beck open up the passing game a little bit, the sky is the limit for Marsh.
He’s a near lock to earn All-Conference honors in some capacity again at the end of the season.
There is a strong chance he will repeat as the team's receiving leader and I believe he will surpass 1,000 yards through the air.
See our full top 25 players:
- No. 25 TE Zack Marshall
- No. 24 Edge Carter Meadows
- No. 23 OL Evan Link
- No. 22 WR Salesi Moa
- No. 21 Edge Nate Marshall
- No. 20 OL Nathan Efobi
- No. 19 WR Jaime Ffrench
- No. 18 LB Troy Bowles
- No. 17 RB Savion Hiter
- No. 16 LB Chase Taylor
- No. 15 S Chris Bracy
- No. 14 DT Enow Etta
- No. 13 CB Zeke Berry
- No. 12 LB Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng
- No. 11 OL Andrew Sprague
- No. 10 DT Trey Pierce
- No. 9 CB Smith Snowden
- No. 8 WR JJ Buchanan
- No. 7 OL Jake Guarnera
Today's best reads
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- Ranking Every Michigan Position Group as They Enter 2026
- Urban Meyer Says God's Blueprint for 'Creating a QB' Resembles Michigan's Bryce Underwood
- 'Only the Best Play Here': Marques Hagans' 4 Pillars for Michigan WRs in 2026
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/michigan as Top 25 Most Important Michigan Players in 2026: No. 6 Andrew Marsh Ready for a Sophomore Breakout.
