Tag: Lawrence Marshall

2017 Season Countdown: #61 Lawrence Marshall

Lawrence Marshall

Name: Lawrence Marshall
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 268 lbs.
High school: Southfield (MI) Southfield
Position: Defensive tackle
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #93
Last year: I ranked Marshall #48 and said he would be a backup Anchor.
TTB Rating: 72

Marshall, who was listed in 2016 at 268 lbs., was a backup strongside end. Rumors have existed for a while now that he hasn’t been 100% committed to improving as a football player, and that resulted in him playing in just three games last season. He made 6 tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss in that playing time, and he struggled some when he got a chance to play. Originally a 240 lb. weakside end, he’s on one of those trajectories where he appears to be bulking up for a mediocre career inside.

Now Marshall is said to be around 280 lbs., and he’s playing 3-tech defensive tackle. Some players have bounced around due to need at different spots, but this appears to be at least a semi-permanent move for Marshall. Michigan needs help on the interior of the defensive line, and there’s not a whole lot of experience there. I profiled true freshman James Hudson III a couple days ago (LINK), so I view him as being almost on par with Marshall, and I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Hudson passed him up. It’s now-or-never for Marshall, who could see his time expire at Michigan if he doesn’t amp up his game. The Wolverines won’t want him back for a fifth year if he doesn’t become more disciplined and productive. On the plus side, Marshall has to see that there’s playing time up for grabs with Maurice Hurst, Jr. the only proven guy at his position. He could be the #2 guy, or he could be clawing for snaps with the likes of Carl Myers, Hudson, and freshman Donovan Jeter, among others.

Prediction: Backup defensive tackle

5 Position Switches for Michigan to Consider in 2017

Where does Zach Gentry fit best? (image via MLive)

Going into the 2017 season, Michigan has some holes on the roster and some players who seem to be buried on the bench. Those buried players – and some established ones – can sometimes benefit the team at other spots. After all, Michigan took Chase Winovich – who started his career at linebacker before moving to tight end/fullback for a season – and made him a very effective defensive end (35 tackles, 9.5 TFLs, 5 sacks) in 2016.

Which players on this 2017 squad might be best served by finding a new position?

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2016 Season Countdown: #48 Lawrence Marshall

Lawrence Marshall (image via Maize and Blue News)

Check out the message board to share your favorite/least favorite conditioning exercises from your athletic years (LINK).

Name: Lawrence Marshall
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 250 lbs.
High school: Southfield (MI) Southfield
Position: Defensive end
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #93
Last year: I ranked Marshall #43 and said he would be a backup Buck linebacker (LINK). He played in three games and made 1 tackle.

Marshall reportedly spent much of his 2015 season in the doghouse, so he did not get a lot of opportunities to play. Michigan needed pass rushers, especially after Mario Ojemudia’s Achilles gave out, but still Marshall didn’t get much run. He finally saw some playing time again in the bowl game blowout of Florida, but it was not a productive year. Michigan rotated a lot of defensive linemen, went through a few Buck linebackers, and still Marshall didn’t see the field much.

This year Michigan only lost one true defensive lineman (Willie Henry), but the Buck linebacker spot will turn into more of a traditional weakside end position. There is an opening there with Ojemudia, Royce Jenkins-Stone, and James Ross III all vying for NFL roster spots, but Taco Charlton is headed for weakside end. Meanwhile, Marshall reported in the spring that he has become a full-time strongside end (or “Anchor”) and there’s talk that he’s up to around 270 lbs. With freshman Rashan Gary a strong possibility to start there, Marshall will be fighting for his shot in an attempt to keep someone like Chris Wormley at 3-tech. Michigan has a lot of depth on the defensive line, but if Marshall can keep his nose clean, he may be able to stake his claim for playing time in 2017 after Wormley, Charlton, and others filter out of the program.

Prediction: Backup Anchor

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Spring Game Observations

Ty Isaac beat Jabrill Peppers to the edge for a long gain (image via MLive)

QUARTERBACK
After watching Brandon Peters last week and now this week, I have very high hopes for him. He’s not ready yet, but he’s adjusting to the college game quickly and is a good athlete. I think he has the highest upside on the team. I still think it’s a neck-and-neck battle between Speight and O’Korn. I want O’Korn to win the job because I think he has better athletic skills and you can do more things with his legs, but it’s a tough choice. (Yes, I realize Speight scored a TD on a naked bootleg, but the guy he burned was walk-on linebacker Jack Dunaway. Also, I’ve seen Peyton Manning score on a similar play, and Manning is nobody’s idea of a mobile QB.)

RUNNING BACK
I’ve said it for a long time, but Isaac was the best runner on the field. He finished with 10 carries for 78 yards, including two long runs. He was also running behind an offensive line that included mostly backups, freshman left tackle Grant Newsome, and center Mason Cole. He’s not without flaws (for example, he doesn’t have the same angry fervor as De’Veon Smith when trying to break tackles), but Isaac looks improved from last year. Kareem Walker looked decent, though the competition he shined most against were walk-ons. Kingston Davis recovered enough from last week’s undisclosed injury to notch a couple carries, but he didn’t have a lot of room to run; he looks like a truck, but he probably needs to shed a few pounds. Of the fullbacks, I’m not in love with Henry Poggi because he’s just not a guy who’s a threat with the ball in his hands. I really like Khalid Hill there, and I think Bobby Henderson can be a Kerridge-like player (though I’m not sure about his hands yet).

Hit the jump for the rest of the position-by-position rundowns.

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Ford Field Open Practice: Defense, Special Teams

Noah Furbush

Yesterday, I posted my thoughts on Saturday’s practice regarding injuries, offense, and a few walk-ons to watch (LINK). Today I’ll address what I saw from the defense.

DEFENSIVE END
Depth: Chris Wormley, Taco Charlton, Chase Winovich, Lawrence Marshall, Reuben Jones, Carlo Kemp
Scoop: Wormley spent some time both outside and inside, and we already know what to expect from him. In fact, a lot of the starters seemed to be going about 90%, because going 100% would just be unfair. The defensive line was handling the offensive front pretty well. Charlton is a physical freak, and it looked like he spent some time at both Anchor (strongside end) and weakside end. Winovich was my surprise of the day, because he definitely looked like he belonged on the field. In fact, he was working so hard coming off the edge that a bit of a brawl started when Kyle Kalis chucked him to the ground after a play. Winovich uses good leverage and can bend well, and I think he’s going to see some time. Marshall didn’t do anything special, and I think he needs to add weight and become a strongside end; he just doesn’t have the quickness or instincts to be an edge rusher, in my opinion. Jones looked decent and competitive, but I think he’s probably another year or two away. Kemp has moved from linebacker – where he was a poor fit, in my opinion – to defensive end. In fact, both Jones and Kemp were working at linebacker in Florida, but neither one worked with the linebackers on Saturday. Shelton Johnson is nursing an injury and did not practice. Maurice Hurst, Jr. had an ankle injury that was making him gimpy, and he was playing some Anchor at times but was ineffective (more due to injury than a lack of ability).

Hit the jump for the rest of the defense.

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