How Matt Weiss helped Michigan find new TE commit Zack Marshall

Three-star Carlsbad (Calif.) High tight end Zack Marshall earned a Michigan offer at The BBQ at The Big House recruiting event in late July and committed to the Wolverines just a few weeks later.

For many Michigan fans, Marshall was a brand-new name. After all, Marshall made the visit without holding an offer, and U-M was only expected to take one tight end this cycle — four-star Oswego (Ill.) High prospect Deakon Tonielli committed in June.

But this was a long time coming for Marshall.

In a bit of a lucky situation, Michigan quarterbacks coach Matt Weiss was down in San Diego, California recruiting elite 2024 signal-caller Julian Sayin during the spring evaluation period and decided to make the short trip to see Marshall at a workout. 

Marshall impressed Weiss so much that he immediately got him on the line with U-M tight ends coach Grant Newsome.

“(Weiss) was in town and visited me on a one-off chance,” Marshall said. “He heard about a tight end in San Diego. That same day, I got on a FaceTime with Coach Newsome. After that, my mom had surgery, so I wasn’t able to travel to any other states or make official visits. But we kept in contact and built that connection.”

When July rolled around, Michigan decided that it could take another tight end if it was the right fit and invited Marshalll to the BBQ at The Big House for an unofficial visit and private workout.

Marshall performed well enough to earn an offer before leaving Ann Arbor. And Michigan instantly became the team to beat in his recruitment.

“They said they really liked my film but needed to see me in person,” Marshall said. “It was my only opportunity. I asked my mom if we could get one last trip in. We did a little bit of research on Michigan, and we saw the big picture. Cal had the great academics. Utah had the great football. But they didn’t compare to the combination at Michigan, so we booked a flight for the BBQ at The Big House.

“It was awesome. I met with the coaches, did a quick work out and got offered. In my mind, I committed on the spot. I felt like it was the spot for me.”

Marshall made his decision public just a few weeks later. While things progressed rapidly in a short time period, Marshall felt confident in his decision thanks in large part to Michigan’s blend of elite academics and athletics.

“I can’t say enough good things about Michigan,” Marshall said. “The culture there is amazing. The academics and athletics are second to none. It’s a Top 10 school perennially for football. I want to study law, and it’s a Top 10 school in that regard as well. No other school even comes close to that combination.”

Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh and his staff also played a big role in closing with Marshall.

“Getting to meet with (Jim) Harbaugh 1-on-1 and having a conversation about things other than recruiting was great. His first questions were ‘how are you?’ and ‘who are you?’  and ‘what are your values?’ He really wants to see who you are as a person. That was the conversation I had with Coach Weiss the first day. He told me ‘we have to know who you are before we can recruit you.’

“No other school was in-depth with caring about the person. It was about the football. I want to be cultivated as a future man and husband. I feel like that will be cultivated the most at Michigan.”

Marshall, who is ranked as the No. 14 athlete nationally, recorded 44 receptions for 1,012 yards and nine touchdowns as a junior at Solona Beach (Calif.) Santa Fe Christian last season. He recently transferred to Carlsbad and will play there as a senior.

Marshall is set to graduate early and will enroll at Michigan in January.