CHEEZ-IT CITRUS BOWL: MICHIGAN VS TEXAS

December 29, 2025

Zack Marshall

Camping World Stadium

Michigan Wolverines

Day for Kids

Q. How has it been today?

ZACK MARSHALL: I has been great. We woke up a little bit early but you know, got here, hung out with the kids. Jayden and Emily were who I was paired up with, and we went on a couple rides and -- oh, they are right there. They are right there, and you know what, they are awesome. I am having a great time.

Q. Why is it so important for Michigan to give back to the community?

ZACK MARSHALL: That is where we all came from. I remember when I was a little kid going to a little Chargers camp when I was probably seven years old, running around with Khalil. And then growing up, you idolize those guys.

And at the end of the day, we are all people but you always want to be -- when you get to the heavenly gates, you want him to look down and say, he was a good person, and I hope we can do that by giving back to the community.

Q. On that note, how was practice?

ZACK MARSHALL: It has been great. It is cool to have coach Whit around and kind of what that all looks like. We are still going to get after it. We are still Michigan at the end of the day. It has been fast, physical, a little hotter here than back home. You try to replicate in the indoor, you never can. The humidity, the Florida heat, it is awesome. It is great. We're getting after it.

Q. Has Coach Whittingham spoke with you guys? What has he told you?

ZACK MARSHALL: His biggest message that I took away was this team you need this team more than this team needs you. He is an amazing person. I remember when I was getting recruited to Utah out of high school, they were actually my No. 2. He has always been a great person. One of his selling factors, obviously, and he wins games. So you win games and you are a good person, no one is going to say no.

Q. Have you had your meeting with him yet?

ZACK MARSHALL: I haven't had my individual one. I know a bunch of players have. Just been around the team. He's everything you could ask for, and what you see is what you get.

Q. What type of person is he like on the recruiting trail?

ZACK MARSHALL: Obviously, mostly when you are in recruiting, you deal with your position coach more. It is his brother, Freddie Whittingham, was the guy, who recruited me out of San Diego, and awesome, dude. Talked about his brother and how family culture is everything.

I remember being taken around by Dalton Kincaid, he is pretty famous now, but at the time, he had just transferred in from USD. Really, it is a family. He brought Dalton. Made it a family culture. Even in my little time there, ten hours to be exact, because I flew in and out the same day. It just felt like a real family culture, and now I am hoping they bring it here.

Q. Do you like how Utah has used tight ends?

ZACK MARSHALL: Sure, they put tight ends in the league. Michigan puts tight ends in the league more than anyone. 11, 12, 13 personnel, you know what you're going to get with them.

Q. Everyone is talking about the next coach, but you have a game coming up. Is it hard to stay focused?

ZACK MARSHALL: No, because we have a guy named Biff Poggi, who is amazing, coordinators that are incredible. Coach Casula, he called the bowl game last year against Alabama and you know how that turned out. We beat Alabama. We have all the confidence in the world. We are ready to play, because we have guys that are ready to step up and it doesn't matter if we have ten guys or 105. We are ready to play when the leather hits the foot.

Q. Ten guys would be hard to play with?

ZACK MARSHALL: We'll send in one of the coaches. Pernell McPhee's still got a little tread on his tires. He only retired four years ago.

Q. What made Utah so appealing (during your recruitment)?

ZACK MARSHALL: Family culture. They were my first Power Five offer, not only close to home, but they are the first people to. I am not going to say trust you, but the first people to offer and give you that opportunity and then to see it all kind of come full circle. It is unreal.

We will say it as it is. It is crazy that is how that worked out. But yeah, I mean, their family culture is massive. I know that is what we are going to get here.

Q. So whatever the new coach has always brought, turnover of staff as well, sounds like you're pretty excited about Whittingham coming here. Are you starting to talk to your teammates?

ZACK MARSHALL: Trust me, we know as much as you. We are focused on the 31st, now. We have three days, and 11:59 the ball will drop and then we can start worrying about what our next steps are. I think that is the answer that everyone is given and I know that is not the answer you guys want but that is for real. That is what we are doing.

Q. When Whittingham's name was in the rumor mill, what were you thinking?

ZACK MARSHALL: I didn't think it was going to happen. I knew he kind of joked about entering the coaching transfer portal. I was like, nah, he is joking. There have been plenty of guys that have stepped down and said I will take another job or gone and been an assistant or somewhere or done something like that. Nope.

Everyone heard the same five names getting thrown out here, there, like crazy names, and we're like, we have no clue what's going on. The media and us have the exact amount of coverage on who is getting talked to, zero. But yeah, super happy with the hire.

Q. What about Texas jumps out at you?

ZACK MARSHALL: They got a lot of opt-outs. We are ready to win this game.