With Kalel Mullings and Donovan Edwards opting out, Michigan football turned to a true freshman to start at running back against No. 11 Alabama in the 2024 ReliaQuest Bowl. It’s fair to say that Maize and Blue supporters liked what they saw.

Jordan Marshall, a former four-star and Top 100 prospect in the 2024 class, finished with 100 yards on 23 carries for the Wolverines in their 19-13 upset win over the Crimson Tide, earning MVP honors in the process. It was the freshman’s first career start.

After the game, Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore made a comparison that will raise eyebrows everywhere when discussing Marshall’s performance.

“I think he’s got a bright future,” Moore said. “Like I said, he reminds me so much of Blake [Corum, the way he approaches his business and what he does off the field to take care of his body, and you obviously saw how he runs. He’s a physical runner, he can make people miss, he can run you over, he obviously has that burst.

“He’s going to be a special back. He’s got a lot of ability, but he works really hard, so I think that’s the piece that really makes him different.”

Here’s a highlight reel of Jordan Marshall’s performance against Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl:

That’s a weighty comparison indeed.

Corum is arguably the greatest running back in Michigan football history. He set Michigan’s single-season record for rushing touchdowns (27), total touchdowns (28) and points scored (168), which is also a Big Ten record, during his senior season, helping the Wolverines win the national championship in the process.

Corum finished his college career as Michigan’s all-time leader in rushing touchdowns (58), total touchdowns (61) and points scored (366), and his 3,737 career rushing yards rank seventh in school history. He was a 2023 unanimous All-American, and adds three Big Ten championships and a Rose Bowl championship to his career resume.

That’s the guy who Sherrone Moore says Marshall reminds him of, and that’s an exciting prospect. While Michigan loses two pillars of its offense in Mullings and Edwards this offseason, there’s plenty of reason for optimism surrounding the Wolverines future at running back with Marshall, redshirt freshman Benjamin Hall and incoming Alabama transfer Justice Haynes.

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