Zack Marshall Delivers the Offseason Update Michigan Fans Wanted to Hear About the New Offense

It's taken Michigan's offense a little time to get more modern with its offensive look, but it appears to be there with Jason Beck running the show. Fans have been used to seeing the Wolverines in 12 personnel, or even 13 personnel at times under both Jim Harbaugh and Sherrone Moore.

But with Beck leading the show, Michigan is expected to have empty sets, and play more 11 personnel this season, featuring just one tight end at a time. There will be plays where Michigan has a jumbo look — it is Michigan after all and the running game will be good — but expect changes this fall when the Wolverines take the field in Week 1 against Western Michigan.

Appearing on In The Trenches with Jon Jansen, tight end Zack Marshall was asked about how this new offense differs from the last two he played in under both Harbaugh and Moore. The word Marshall used right away was 'horizontal'.

Michigan tight end Zack Marshall (83) runs against Purdue linebacker Mani Powell — Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Expect more jet sweeps and each play will give Bryce Underwood an RPO, or a second option.

"Yeah, horizontal. Let's just, let's get the cat out of the bag. I think everyone knows this. If you watch Jason Beck's offense, right, it's like it's all about horizontal spacing," Marshall told Jansen. "And yes, we can beat you down the field, we can run the ball in the box too. But the ability for the jet sweep to just open up or the ability to be able to get on the perimeter quick screens, now the screens are different than screens that people think of, right?

"Everything's an R-P-O, everything has a second option, everything has a QB pull press. Having that versatility going horizontal is so different than anything we've had before. And it's simplified to a point where you're able to just go out there and play, right?"

Everyone has a chance to catch the ball in this offense

When watching the previous regime's offense, everything looked tight and condensed. That's because it was. Marshall spoke about how, at times, you were running a route to get covered — not to get open and catch a football.

Well, that's not how things are going to work under Jason Beck. Every route run will have a chance to get the football thrown to them, and it has a little backyard football sense. The offense is versatile and will build off the strength of the players. More times than not, Underwood will have the freedom to throw the ball wherever he sees fit — oh, and he can pull it down and run.

Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood (19) keeps the ball — Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"It's about getting open, playing a little bit of backyard football, having versatility in what you do, not just sitting in one place," Marshall said. "Like those kind of things are so different than a — some of the pro style offenses that you see, right? Like there's a lot of times in pro style offenses you're running to get covered. In this offense you're never running to get covered. You are trying to get open, you're ready to get the ball. All five eligibles can get the ball. And the quarterback, yeah, he can run that ball too."

Fans will get to really see the new offense in action when Michigan takes the field in 2026.

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