On3 rankings director Charles Power breaks down Nate Marshall, Carter Smith, rest of 2025 Michigan recruiting class
New 2025 recruiting rankings for On3 were released last month, and all five verbal commits in Michigan’s class experienced a change in their respective listings.
Two of whom committed to the Wolverines following the ranking update, including Oak Park (Ill.) Fenwick star Nate Marshall, the No. 70 overall prospect and No. 6 defensive lineman nationally this cycle..
“You have to start with the first step quickness,” On3 director of scouting and rankings Charles Power told The Wolverine. “I think his outstanding jump off the ball really gives offensive linemen, particularly interior offensive linemen, issues with his initial burst. I think that’s a great starting point when you’re talking about a defensive lineman. There are just very encouraging signs with his hand usage, very active hands, and he uses his budding technique to disengage from offensive linemen. You can see that on-field athleticism show up with his ability to track down ball carriers from behind. When you look at his strengths, I think he really projects well, particularly as an interior pass rusher. As he continues to get bigger, he’s a guy who you could slide inside on passing downs. He could create a mismatch when he’s matched up against guards and centers.”
Marshall returned to Michigan the weekend of the April 20 spring game, his third trip to Ann Arbor since July of last year. Two days following the intrasquad scrimmage, he quickly committed, marking the seventh straight recruiting cycle that U-M has landed a Chicagoland native recruit.
As the son of Khara Smith Marshall, DePaul’s all-time leading rebounder (1,369) and ranked second all-time in career points (2,241), Marshall’s athleticism from his family history on the basketball court has translated to football well from what Power has monitored.
“He shows his coordination playing on offense,” Power said. “We see him make some impressive jump-all grabs when he splits out wide. He has room to continue growing physically, but I think you have to be encouraged with what he’s shown so far.”
Power views Marshall in a similar light as former Michigan captain Kris Jenkins, who was taken in the second round by the Cincinnati Bengals in this year’s NFL Draft.
“I think Nate has that potential to be a versatile piece that you could move along the defensive line,” Power said. “I’d probably go along with (Jenkins) in terms of recent Michigan players. I think Kris is a guy who gained 60 pounds once he got to Michigan. I could see Nate taking on a similar track. We rank (Marshall) as a defensive lineman. But given the girth that Michigan tends to recruit there, he could play as a big defensive end.”
Marshall joined a class that featured two four-star Michigan commits, such as On300 Ft. Myers (Fla.) Bishop Verot quarterback Carter Smith, listed as the No. 19 quarterback in the country and the No. 25 recruit in Florida, per On3. Across all positions, Smith is No. 209 overall.
Coming off an appearance at the Elite 11 regional in Orlando, Smith’s ability to get the ball out more consistently and a tighter throwing motion pointed back to his improvement progressions this offseason.
“He’s an athletic quarterback,” Power said. “He’s a guy who impressed us initially with just his play-making ability, his mobility, and the things he can do in the passing game as well. Just kind of like a well-rounded skill set. When you look at how Michigan used JJ McCarthy kind of in the designed run game, I think (Smith) is certainly capable of doing that.”
Winning the Gatorade Player of the Year Award for Florida this past season, Smith announced his commitment to Michigan in November of last year and has been holding down a leadership role in adding more prospects to the class.
“This is a guy who spent a lot of time playing baseball, so he probably hasn’t had quite the quarterback focus maybe like some of these other guys who just train at quarterback all year,” Power said. “I think that’s kind of a thing that is positive of multi-sport athletes. There’s generally a little more meat on the bone from an improvement perspective because they haven’t focused on it quite as much. He’s a guy who I think is always going to be at his best anyway when he’s in a padded live situation where he can use his legs.”
The latest to come onboard to Michigan’s 2025 recruiting class is Birmingham (Mich.) Groves offensive lineman Avery Gach, whose decision was made on May 3. On3 doesn’t have Gach listed as a four-star, but Power has seen and evaluated the attributes that make the in-stater a proper fit on a two-time Joe Moore Award-winning unit.
“First off, he’s always had really good film,” Power said. “He’s a strong drive blocker. He moves well. Just dominates his level of competition like you would hope for. He’s just a strong finisher. Violent player. I think those are certainly strong suits of his. Then, the combination of movement skills and mentality, I would say, and his play strength probably would be strong suits.”
Gach is one of two in-state recruits this cycle pledged to the Wolverines, with four-star Howell (Mich.) High defensive lineman Bobby Kanka being the longest-served commit for the reigning national champions since early August. As On3’s No. 3 overall prospect in Michigan and No. 26 defensive lineman nationally, Kanka’s trajectory mirrors the quality of U-M typically has on the roster.
“I think Bobby is kind of what you envision when you think of the Michigan prototype as a defensive lineman in that he’s versatile, he’s physical, he’s an active, smart player, and I think he made a nice jump, as a junior,” Power said. “So, I think he’s an active, physical run defender. He maybe has some potential positional flexibility. I know Michigan likes guys that kind of move all over the front, so I think he kind of provides that. He’s a guy who’s physical and plays hard, so we certainly like to see all that. He’s a guy who’ll continue getting bigger and stronger. He’s one who fits what Michigan is going for.”
In April, at the Under Armour Camp in Nashville, Power got another in-person look at Michigan tight end commit Eli Owens, who entered the fray three days after the Rose Bowl win over Alabama. On3 ranks Owens in the Top 50 among all tight ends this cycle, in the Top 25 in Tennessee, and is high on the junior as an H-back.
“For starters, he catches the ball well,” Power said. “I would say from a size perspective, I think he might have maybe leaned out a little bit. I know he weighed 215, and he was right around 6-foot-1. I think he’s going to be a reliable target underneath, especially if he lines up in the backfield. If he lines up as a fullback, he’s going to be a pass threat in that role. So, that’s kind of what I view him as.”
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