RESOLVING THE LEDGER
This is one outlet's own report from Yahoo Sports — the article as it was filed.
Michigan football has two running backs that Ohio State coveted -- one being an Ohio native, and the other being a five-star and the top tailback in the nation.
Cincinnati native Jordan Marshall drew a lot of consternation from fans in his home state when he referenced running backs coach Tony Alford leaving OSU for Michigan in an interview last fall, saying, 'He knew that he wanted to be around better people.' Though he's not exactly making fans of self-proclaimed 'Buckeye Nation,' Marshall isn't throwing jabs because he was spurned by Ohio State, as much as he just never was that into the flagship school in Ohio.
He shared more about his decision years ago now with Rich Eisen on Monday on his eponymous show.
"My mom always told me to just lead with my heart. And I never grew up an Ohio State fan," Marshall said. "Actually, I grew up a Georgia fan. My dad's from outside of Atlanta. But I don't know. I just came up here, and I fell in love with it, with how Harbaugh did things, the community around here, and the people. Truly, it was just the people for me. When I was done playing football, or something happened to me, where would I want to be at? And coming back up here every single time, you have that feeling."
Hiter was strongly considering the Buckeyes all throughout the process, but when Alford defected Columbus for Ann Arbor, the maize and blue made a considerable surge that resulted in his commitment. And when his presumed head coach, Sherrone Moore, was summarily fired in December 2025, and replaced by Kyle Whittingham, the retention of Alford played a huge role in Hiter remaining with his newfound program.
Asked by he spurned OSU for Michigan, Hiter's answer was simple: it's both the place and the position coach.
"Michigan is the only place to be," Hiter said. "I mean, the love here is different. I mean, like what Jordan said, meeting people like him and meeting people like T.A. -- T.A. is like the best running back coach in the country. Tony Alford.
Marshall went deeper on his relationship with Alford, and how Michigan getting him in the first place was a boon, but it wasn't the whole game. Having originally committed to the maize and blue in March 2023 -- half a year before Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines went on their national championship run -- Marshall had pledged to Mike Hart that he wanted to wear a winged helmet. But when Harbaugh defected to the NFL following the national championship, Moore was hired and made some changes. He brought Alford in to replace Hart, and that was a big selling point for the Cincinnati native.
"So I've had a good relationship with him since Ohio State," Marshall said. "People were like, 'Oh, he chose Mike Hart over you.' Never really was true, I liked both of them. I just didn't love Ohio State, and I love the culture and what Harbaugh brought to the table. And then I just remember T.A. getting the job, and it was like, I don't have to start over again. I was close to his family, and it was just, again, he's a great guy, and one of the best in the country -- I think the best."
Despite being on paper a duo that could be among the best in the nation, especially with offensive coordinator Jason Beck leading the charge, not many are putting Marshall and Hiter on national lists. Yet, Alford has a track record of developing backs, even before his time at Michigan, while Beck has shown he can produce the nation's No. 2 rushing attack at different schools, without nearly as much talent as he now has at his disposal.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Michigan running backs reveal why they snubbed Ohio State
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