Michigan football tight end Zack Marshall has found himself at the center of controversy after leaked group chat messages criticizing the Wolverines' offense and offensive coordinator Jason Beck were confirmed to be authentic.
Marshall apologized Tuesday for the comments, saying he made them in the emotional aftermath of Michigan's 20-14 loss to Minnesota. However, his apology has done nothing to quiet the reaction surrounding the incident.
James T. Yoder, a Michigan football analyst and host of the Michigan Football Report, offered a blunt response after Marshall's statement.
"Well, the haters were right…Zack Marshall group chat comments were real… not sure how you keep him on the team," he wrote.
The leaked messages showed Marshall expressing significant frustration with Michigan's offensive scheme and Beck's handling of the offense.
In one message, Marshall criticized the Wolverines' approach, and claimed Michigan had "no answers" when opponents blitzed.
Marshall also appeared to blame Beck for some of quarterback Bryce Underwood's struggles, writing that the offensive coordinator tells Underwood where to go on every play and that it "gets strapped."
"Bryce is a good qb, Beck is a problem," he wrote.
Marshall also claimed that Beck told Michigan's tight ends that "none of us are valuable to this offense."
The comments gained attention because Michigan's offense has struggled significantly during the early portion of Kyle Whittingham's tenure.
The Wolverines are averaging just 23 points per game , ranking 105th among 138 FBS teams. They are also averaging 5.4 yards per play, which ranks 106th nationally.
The struggles were clearly evident against Minnesota. Michigan managed only 180 total yards in the 20-14 defeat, dropping the Wolverines to 3-2 and leaving them winless in Big Ten play.
In his apology, Marshall accepted responsibility for the messages and said he had "pointed fingers instead of taking accountability."
"I apologize to my teammates and coaches for the unnecessary drama this has caused," Marshall said. "I will always be proud to represent Michigan and will continue to give everything I have for this program."
Michigan now enters its bye week with plenty of questions surrounding its offense and the program as a whole. The Wolverines will return against Penn State, giving Whittingham and his staff time to address the issues both on and off the field.
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