Michigan snags 4-star RB from Ohio amid big Buckeye State recruiting push

The 5-foot-10, 190-pounder had an offer from Ohio State as well as many others, including Tennessee and Wisconsin.

He led the GCL South with 1,951 yards rushing last season and 30 touchdowns while also catching 19 passes for 364 yards and four more scores.

Marshall was the third Ohioan from the current junior class to commit to Ohio State, and he was followed a day later by Ben Roebuck, a three-star offensive lineman from state champion Lakewood St. Edward.

Michigan already had commitments from Luke Hamilton, a four-star offensive lineman from Avon, and Ted Hammond, a four-star defensive lineman from Cincinnati St. Xavier.

They are part of a nine-man class that ranks third in the country while Ohio State’s four-man group has fallen to 15th after a hot start.

Ohio State-Michigan recruiting battles, especially for players in the Buckeye State, were once commonplace. That has not been the case so much lately with both schools devoting more resources to national recruiting, but there are signs what’s old could be new again in 2024 and beyond.

Michigan reportedly has offered 18 players from Ohio in the class, twice as many as Ohio State, and the Wolverines reportedly are making a big push to lock down more players from across their southern border.

Springfield cornerback Aaron Scott Jr. is among that group.

The state’s No. 2 prospect posted pictures from a recent visit to Ann Arbor on social media Tuesday and is reportedly scheduled to visit Ohio State next weekend according to BuckeyeHuddle.com.

Scott has no shortage of options, having recently reached the 30-offer threshold when Florida State threw its hat in the ring a month ago.

The Wolverines have beaten Ohio State, won the Big Ten and made the College Football Playoff in back-to-back seasons despite only so-so recruiting and without tapping their old Ohio talent pipelines much.

Michigan signed four players from Ohio in the 2023 class after signing only one (Northmont safety Rod Moore) in the previous three classes.

Coach Jim Harbaugh’s apparent push to re-establish his program’s connections in Ohio comes at the same time Ohio State coach Ryan Day and recruiting coordinator Mark Pantoni have said they intend to put more focus on in-state recruiting in the face of a national recruiting landscape that has been roiled by recent changes in NCAA rules.

Hamilton, Hammond and Roebuck did not have Ohio State offers according to 247Sports, though that does not necessarily mean OSU wasn’t interested. The Buckeyes have offered two of Roebuck’s high school teammates in fellow offensive linemen Deontae and Devontae Armstrong.

Ohio State’s two in-state commitments so far are Big Walnut linebacker Garrett Stover and Toledo Central Catholic offensive lineman Marc Nave.

Aside from Scott and Marshall, both Ohio State and Michigan reportedly have offered Bryce West and Damarion Witten of Cleveland Glenville and the Armstrongs.