Zeke Berry, Andrew Marsh Explain Why They Returned to Michigan for 2026 Season

Despite the rollercoaster in Ann Arbor, both players are happy they returned.

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It was a rollercoaster of a month for Michigan's football team once news came out that Sherrone Moore was fired. There was plenty of uncertainty and rumors began flying around regarding the status of the team.

But ahead of the Wolverines' bowl game against Texas, Michigan made the move to hire long-time Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham — then retention began. But that doesn't mean players knew what they were going to do.

Cornerback Zeke Berry was one of the few Michigan players who initially entered the transfer portal before deciding to come back to Michigan. On Wednesday, during a media availability, Berry spoke about that decision.

"I mean, there’s a lot of things really going on, you know, really just wanted to make sure I was making the best decision for myself and my future," Berry said. "And I kind of just wanted to come back and play with the guys one more time in Michigan. And I kind of ultimately felt like that’s one thing that I really cared about doing, and I wanted to do for like the last time. So I came back, and it was the best decision I think I made."

Berry is entering his fifth year with Michigan and he has built a ton of bonds in Ann Arbor. He is coming off an All-Big Ten season, and between playing alongside Jyaire Hill again, along with finishing what he started — he came to the decision to come back.

"I feel like it was really just myself coming down to the decision," Berry said. "I really want to play with the people that I started with. I’ve been here for four years, going on my fifth. So I took that decision. It’s like, this is what I want to do for my next step."

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But Berry was just one of many Michigan players who had to mull things over. Wide receiver Andrew Marsh kept everything close to the vest, and despite rumors that Texas was making a run at him, Marsh never did enter the portal. Instead, he quietly stayed at Michigan, and he said he ultimately wanted to be in Ann Arbor.

"It was a whole bunch of things, I would say, kind of went into that decision," Marsh said. "A lot of just me talking to people around me, I would say, but a big thing for me was really kind of wanting to stay where I’ve been, where my feet are planted, and really just go from there. So that was kind of my biggest focus coming into this season: making sure everything was squared away over here before we start looking elsewhere."

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Marsh said he knew early on he wanted to be at Michigan. He thought the trajectory of the team was headed in a good direction and after speaking with the guys, they wanted to finish what they started.

"I feel like early on, I knew I was going to be all right," said Marsh. "Part of it, I feel like, for me, was just the position I put myself coming off of last year, and then really just the trajectory of the team. I felt like after talks with a lot of the guys and stuff like that, we all came to the conclusion that we really wanted to stick it out. Really just play with the guys, keep it Michigan."