Jordan Marshall returning to Michigan football in 2026 on new deal

Michigan Wolverines running back Jordan Marshall is returning to Ann Arbor for his junior season on a reworked NIL deal, he told ESPN’s Pete Thamel on Wednesday evening.

Marshall ran for 932 yards and 10 touchdowns this season, averaging 6.2 yards per carry on 150 carries. Starting the season in a backfield tandem with Justice Haynes, he would eventually take over RB1 duties in five contests in the second half of the season.

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Haynes is considering a return to college in lieu of entering the 2026 NFL Draft, though nothing is set in stone as of this post.

Marshall is one of the bigger retention wins of the cycle for Michigan during its coaching transition to new program leader Kyle Whittingham. His position coach, Tony Alford, has also been retained, keeping a relationship intact from when the former Ohio Mr. Football was being recruited by the rival OSU Buckeyes.

Michigan’s backfield will be boosted by another potentially elite talent in 2026 with the addition of five-star recruit Savion Hiter, who has enrolled early and is currently on campus in Ann Arbor.

The new offense will be coordinated by Jason Beck, who joins Whittingham from Utah after an 11-2 season. Utah ran the ball better than any non-service academy in the country, trailing only Navy in rushing offense at 266.3 yards per game. Utah was also efficient in the red zone, converting on 91.5% of their possessions inside the 20-yard line in 59 opportunities, the 9th most in the country.