Michigan enters the 2026 season with plenty of new faces on offense, but one player who shouldn’t need much of an introduction is wide receiver Andrew Marsh.
After putting together one of the best freshman seasons by a Michigan receiver in recent memory, Marsh enters Year 2 with much bigger expectations. He isn’t simply a young player with potential anymore. He’s expected to be one of Bryce Underwood’s top targets and potentially one of the better receivers in the Big Ten.
A Freshman Season That Set the Stage
Marsh wasted little time showing why he was one of Michigan’s biggest recruiting wins in the 2025 class.
As a true freshman, he finished with 45 catches for 651 yards and four receiving touchdowns, averaging 14.5 yards per catch. He also added a rushing touchdown and contributed in the return game, finishing the season with 1,087 all-purpose yards.
Those numbers become even more impressive when looking at how his season developed.
Marsh caught just one pass over Michigan’s first four games before becoming a much bigger part of the offense. During Big Ten play, he finished with 41 catches for 611 yards, averaging nearly 68 receiving yards per conference game.
By the end of the season, Michigan clearly had something special.
The Northwestern Game Showed His Ceiling
If there was one game that showed what Marsh could eventually become, it came against Northwestern.
Marsh exploded for 12 catches and 189 yards, putting together one of the best single-game performances by a receiver in Michigan history. His 12 receptions ranked fifth in program history for a single game, while his 189 receiving yards ranked sixth.
For a true freshman to produce that type of game in his first season says a lot about his ceiling.
Marsh isn’t just a receiver Michigan can use underneath. He showed the ability to create big plays, win downfield and become a high-volume target when the offense needs him.
Now the question is whether he can do that consistently throughout an entire season.
The Underwood-Marsh Connection Could Take Off
One of the biggest reasons to expect a breakout from Marsh is simple: Bryce Underwood is entering his second season, too.
Michigan’s young quarterback and young receiver were learning college football together throughout 2025. With an entire offseason to develop, that connection could look much different in 2026.
Marsh already proved he can produce against Big Ten defenses. Now Michigan needs him to become the receiver Underwood can consistently look toward on third down, in the red zone and when the Wolverines need a big play.
If Underwood takes the expected step forward as a passer, Marsh should be one of the biggest players to benefit.
Michigan Has More Help Around Him
Marsh also shouldn’t have to carry Michigan’s passing game by himself.
The Wolverines rebuilt their receiving room this offseason, with J.J. Buchanan and Jaime Ffrench among the additions joining Marsh. Freshmen Travis Johnson and Salesi Moa have also generated attention as Michigan works through fall camp. Recent reports have Marsh and Buchanan established as the top two options entering the season.
That’s important for Marsh.
If Michigan has multiple receivers capable of making defenses pay, opponents won’t be able to focus everything on taking No. 4 away. More speed and depth around him could create better matchups and more opportunities for Marsh to make plays.
What Should Michigan Expect in 2026?
The expectations should be high.
Marsh already reached 651 receiving yards despite barely being involved during the opening month of his freshman season. If he gets WR1-level opportunities from Week 1, reaching the 800-to-1,000-yard range isn’t an unrealistic goal.
Michigan hasn’t consistently produced huge individual receiving numbers in recent years, but Marsh has the talent to change that.
He has already proven he can produce in the Big Ten. He has already shown the ability to take over a game. And after earning Freshman All-American recognition and being named Michigan’s Offensive Skill Player of the Year in 2025, there isn’t much question about how the program views him.
The next step is becoming a star.
Michigan’s offense will still be built around Bryce Underwood and a strong running game, but if the Wolverines want their passing attack to become a bigger threat in 2026, Marsh will be a huge part of making it happen.
Last season was the introduction.
