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Wink Martindale says Michigan freshman will be a name 'everybody's talking about'

Originally posted on Michigan Wolverines on SI
By Trent Knoop | Last updated Sep 4, 2025 4:45 PM ET

With a final score of 34-17, Michigan took down New Mexico, but the Wolverines weren't able to get a ton of their freshmen into the game, with it not being the most dominant of performances. However, Michigan did play 31 players on defense, and one true freshman shined when he had his chance -- edge rusher Nate Marshall.

The borderline five-star prospect played in 23 snaps against the Lobos and recorded two tackles, along with two QB hits, per PFF. Marshall played the fifth-most snaps of any Edge on the roster in Week 1, and defensive coordinator Wink Martindale said Marshall is going to be a name everyone knows soon enough.

“Nate Marshall is going to be a name everybody’s going to be talking about,” Martindale said. “You could see it from day one. Now, he’s young. He’s been the guy in high school, so it was a little bit different for him in training camp. You’re not the guy anymore. You’re just one of the guys.

“He’s adjusting to that, but yet he showed everybody, every Michigan fan, that the way he rushed the quarterback is -- he’s just getting started. He’s still green, but he’s fun to watch.”

The Wolverines are extremely deep at every position on defense, but the defensive line might have the most depth on the team. Derrick Moore and TJ Guy are locked in as the starters, but Cameron Brandt is another player Michigan views as a starter. While those three are the top players on the team, coach Lou Esposito believes the sky is the limit for Marshall -- expectations are high for the Wolverines' young edge rusher.

"I mean, he is, from the day he got here, you know, he didn’t come in the spring," said Esposito. "He came at the beginning of the summer. So he’s been really good. He’s just getting his body right. And I think, you know, Coach Phee’s been doing a good job with him, getting him right in the playbook.

"I think the sky’s the limit for him. He’s just going to keep getting better and better and better, along with a lot of our young guys who did a great job this past Saturday. So we need more of it. They’ve got to get better. You know, the more good players you have, the better shot you are, the better shot you have of winning games. So that’s what we’re going to do."

Michigan fans will likely see Marshall once again this weekend when the Wolverines play Oklahoma on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET.

While Klatt was impressed with both Underwood and Michigan's offense, he thinks the home team is going to come away with a win.

“Oklahoma is favored by 5.5 points. I think that might be too many. I tell you what, I'm going to pick Oklahoma to win 28-24, but Michigan covers the 5.5 with an Oklahoma win.”

Fans can tune in this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC.

This article first appeared on Michigan Wolverines on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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