In the Trenches 596 - Trey Pierce, Jordan Marshall Transcript
8/21/2026 8:42:00 AM | MGoBlue Podcasts
Jon Jansen • 00:00
Well, we've got four new captains here at the University of Michigan in the football program. Two offense, two defense. And today we've got a bonus addition because I'm joined by one of them from each side of the ball. Senior Trey Pierce, defensive lineman, and Jordan Marshall junior running back. Both of them, I'm really excited and not a surprise to me that their teammates would identify them as leaders. They join me next on in the Trenches.
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Jeff Laurence • 00:27
Welcome to the official podcast of Michigan Football in the Trenches with John Jansen, presented by Meijer. Presenting sponsor of the twenty twenty six Michigan football season, and proud supporter of hundreds of local sports teams across the Midwest. Nobody covers Michigan football better than the two time captain, national champion, and Michigan athletics hall of honor inductee.
Jordan Marshall • 00:49
I get to live that legacy, but also I have to now uphold the characteristics of the captain here at the University of Michigan and be that Michigan man that we've always talked about.
Jeff Laurence • 01:02
This is in the Trenches, presented by Meijer. Once again, here's Jon Jansen.
Jon Jansen • 01:09
Excited as always to talk to one of the new captains at the University of Michigan today. It is Trey Pierce. Trey, first of all, congratulations. When coach announced who the captains were, what was your initial reaction?
Trey Pierce • 01:22
Just super grateful to be in this position going into my senior year. Like, if you would have told me freshman year that you'd be a captain my senior year, I'd be like, oh, like, I would have been unthinkable. So I just, I'm really, I'm really appreciative.
Jon Jansen • 01:33
How much have you grown over that time you mentioned? Hey, and we all do. We come in as freshmen, right? We're. Everything's. You're swimming a little bit. Then you start to learn more about Michigan, the traditions, what it takes to win, how to handle some, some disappointments. How are you different now going into your senior year than you were as a freshman?
Trey Pierce • 01:52
Yeah, I almost feel like I'm a completely different person. Just like I've been through a lot here in Michigan, you know, the last four years. So it's like the ups and downs and like, just like the position battles and like pushing through, like injuries, stuff like that. It's just like you have like, no choice but to, like, develop and become a better person, become a better player. So, yeah, I feel like I'm a completely different person.
Jon Jansen • 02:11
Is there any added pressure because you now have that label as captain?
Trey Pierce • 02:17
See, I don't think so. I just feel like I was voted captain for being myself and doing what I do. So I just feel like I just got to keep Doing what I'm doing, like keep being the person I am, keep being the same person to my teammates and I shouldn't have any problems.
Jon Jansen • 02:31
What was the point of emphasis throughout the course of this off season as you approach your senior year now as a captain, what's been the point of emphasis for you for your position group, but also as a defense?
Trey Pierce • 02:45
I know from a position group it's pass rush. Like we gotta rush the pass passer better. I want to fly around. I don't want to be known as like the run stopping D tackles anymore. Like, you know, we had all those big guys last year and we were just clogging up the holes. I want to, I want to get after quarterbacks, make it easier on our secondary and for the defense as a whole. I just want to be dogs. I want to fly around, I want to look like a twenty three defense. I want to be like unstoppable. I want to have a really, really good defense, best in the country.
Jon Jansen • 03:09
So is that more emphasis in terms of the pass rush on penetration or how are you working on pass rush moves?
Trey Pierce • 03:17
So for the D tackles, penetration is the game. You know, you want to crush that pocket, make it flood outside, get our end some sacks. And for the ends, they're doing the opposite. You know, they want to make them step up inside and get us some sacks. So just working together as a D line, rushing like cohesively, keeping the cage is that's what we've been working on. Really?
Jon Jansen • 03:36
How does that work with Enow, who I and you could be lined up against or with a number of guys. But I know Enow is going to be right next to you a lot of the time. How have you been able to develop, develop the ability to play off each other and work games together, but also push the pocket together?
Trey Pierce • 03:52
Yeah, like, I mean since we got here as freshman, like you know, is my boy. So just like, like the chemistry we have, like we're always talking about, oh like if we in this situation, this game would be crazy. Like, or like a lag on the, the ton games. More like just being together and just working, watching football together, talking ball together. We work really well off each other.
Jon Jansen • 04:12
So four captains, but there's also a twelve player leadership council and I know Enow is, is on that along with obviously you guys are a part of that, but having been captains, how. What's it like? What's the conversation been between you guys and coach Whittingham in regards to the importance of what you guys do in a leadership role.
Trey Pierce • 04:32
Yeah. I think what we really talk about with Coach Whit in our meetings is just the direction we want to see the team go. Like, what we want to see from each other, like, and what the expectations are for the team and how we can, like, kind of guide that as leaders. So I know we want to. We have goals for ourselves for the season, and just. We're just talking about how we can
Jon Jansen • 04:48
reach those goals mid camp. And I know you guys have been working on a lot. You've had some long days, you've had some off days. What are you guys doing to make sure that you are your best version of yourselves before you play Western Michigan?
Trey Pierce • 05:02
I think a lot of camp is making it through camp healthy. So I know, like, our strength. Our strength staff has been, like, on our. Like, on our butts about cold tub after, like, mandatory cold tub. Like, that's. That's. That's unheard of last year or, like, the years I've been here. Like, mandatory cold tub, or, like, you have to get a certain amount of meals and mandatory meals. So I think a lot of guys are. Rubs a lot of guys the wrong way. But you see the benefits now. It's a lot less guys hurt. It's a lot more guys like, feeling good consistently. I never feel it in my body. Like, my legs are not as dead as they were, like, at this point in camps previously. So I think just like, working with our strength staff has been the biggest contributor to that.
Jon Jansen • 05:38
The good old days, mandatory meals. Miss those. When you look at how this defense is starting to come together, it's not just you guys. It's the relationship and working together with the linebackers. It's communication on all levels. Where is this defense at? Because Coach Hill talked about it this offseason. I've said it a number of times. He talked about how complicated this defense is. Where are you guys at in terms of picking up everything that they're throwing at you?
Trey Pierce • 06:05
I think we're getting there. I think we're getting close. We have these last few days, we have this second half of camp coming up, and I. I love where we are. Like, I feel like we. We give the offense a lot of trouble, and I think that the ones look really, really good. And then the twos and threes are coming along. So I really. I like where we're at.
Jon Jansen • 06:25
Well, Trey, I really appreciate it. Congratulations again. Couldn't be more excited for you and. And what this year means, not just on the field, but also being chosen by your teammates as captain at Michigan.
Trey Pierce • 06:37
I Appreciate you.
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Jon Jansen • 07:13
Joined once again by a captain at the University of Michigan, newly minted Jordan Marshall. Jordan, first of all, as a former captain, congratulations. I know it's exciting. I know there's a lot of things that come with it as well, but what was your initial reaction when Coach Whittingham said announced the captains and your name was on that list?
Jordan Marshall • 07:36
Just again, humbled. Like, I get choked up talking about it because again, there's guys like you, Max Bredesen that I've looked up to, Blake Corum, all these guys before me that were captains, and I get to be named in that same category. And for me, it's just. It's exciting because I get to live that legacy. But also I have to now uphold the characteristics of the captain here at the University of Michigan and be that Michigan man that we've always talked about.
Jon Jansen • 08:09
What did you learn from those two guys that were captains? You know, Blake Corum, your freshman year, Max last year, Max. Actually both years. But what did you take away from those guys that you want to make a part of what you're doing as captain?
Jordan Marshall • 08:23
I think for me, the biggest thing Max taught me was just how he came in and work every single day. Like, no matter what the circumstances were, no matter how he felt, no matter anything, he just came in here and worked, and he did it to the best of his ability. No questions asked. Nobody ever had to question him. And that's something that I looked up to. And then with Blake, it's just, I think what really when I look at Blake is how he's so eager to learn. And I think people take that for granted is when they're the captain or the leader of a program, a team, anything is that they're. They're just automatically the best. And the thing about being a captain and learn or being a captain and leader is you have to learn. And I think I learn every single day about how to be a better person, how to be a better captain, how to be a better leader, and that's the biggest thing that I've learned from him.
Jordan Marshall • 09:26
And trying to combine all those things to become the best person and captain I can be for this team, but also be the best leader I can be, not only for this team, but also make sure that it's spreading outside of just this team and for this university as well.
Jon Jansen • 09:42
We always as athletes have higher expectations for ourselves than anyone else could possibly have. When you think about the expectations you have for yourself going into this season, being a leader and now named captain, does it raise the level of expectations that you have for yourself?
Jordan Marshall • 09:58
I think my expectations are already through the roof. Like you said, it's nature as an athlete to have that, but I think it also, it puts a different amount of pressure on you and that you're responsible for this whole team, how we, how we do things, not only inside this building, outside this building. No matter when I'm seen, I'm a result of this whole football program. And it's, it's a blessing. But you also have to know that there's eyes on you at all times. And that's not a bad thing. It's. It's honestly to help and protect you. And for me, it's a blessing to just be that every single guy on this team or guys on this team voted for me to be a captain of this team. They trust me to uphold how to be a Michigan man and how to do these things inside and outside of the program. And that's what, again, it's, it's like I get again choked up talking about it because it's, it's a blessing.
Jordan Marshall • 11:00
And to have that expectation not only for myself, but your teammates also expect the best out of you at all times.
Jon Jansen • 11:08
There's steps along the way to get to the regular season, right? You got the off season program and then it's reporting it's the first day of pads, then you elect captains. There's still a lot of time. You, along with Bryce and the leadership council, how do you continue to build this team and bring everybody together for that one goal of winning the championship?
Jordan Marshall • 11:29
I, I don't think it, I think it's still building. Like you, you're never truly done until you're there. And it's everything, day by day. You've worked on every, every practice when you're hurting, how do you fight through it? How do you do it for the guy next to you? And I think that's something that we've truly gotten better at is no matter how I feel that I'm gonna fight through because my brother's feeling the same way. And I think Coach Whitt has done a great job as a leader of this team is it doesn't matter what you're going through, it doesn't matter. But pushing through for your brother or someone else or making someone else's day is way bigger than anything else. And for me, it's. I want to do my whatever I can to make sure that my teammates have the best chance to win. And I think that we have that mindset throughout our team. And something that I'm excited that we're about to talk about this week is Coach Alfred is going to talk about your brand.
Jordan Marshall • 12:34
And our. A big thing he asked me is what's our team brand? And I think our team brand is going to be all one hundred. And whatever guys we have on this team are willing to die for each other and put everything out there because they love each other and it doesn't matter how they're feeling if they're hurting. And I think that's what our brand of this team is going to be. And I'm excited to have that conversation with not only our leadership council, but our whole team and captains.
Jon Jansen • 13:02
Your position group, obviously there's going to always be a lot of eyeballs on the running back position. This is a program that has always been built on physicality. Running the football first. Everything else comes after that. Experience, to me, is the best teacher. You saw Bryce come in with all the accolades, also all the pressure last year. I'd love. I want to talk about him in just a moment, but Savion is coming in with a lot of those accolades and a lot of that pressure. How do you help him from what you saw Bryce deal with and how you helped Bryce along the way? How do you help Savion now that he's in your room? And I don't think there's a better room that he could be in with you in there as well.
Jordan Marshall • 13:43
I think a thing it's a little different than the quarterback position, but again, it's. It's one of the higher standards. You're. You're kind of looked at as that quarterback type of. You're the top two position on the team. And for him, I just tell him he's got to do what he's got to do. And he has a guy like me that takes some of that pressure off of him. But also there might be a time where, God forbid, something happens to me. But I think that he, he's confident in himself and he knows what he's capable to do. But I also just told him you got to just go play at the end of the day. We've been playing this game since we were little, little kids. And that same love you have for it, that same fight you have, that same passion. Just go out there and play at the end of the day and do it for yourself. Don't do it for anybody else. Do it for yourself, your teammates and God.
Jordan Marshall • 14:37
And if you do all three of those things, everything else will take care of itself.
Jon Jansen • 14:41
Let's go back to Bryce. You've seen him since he stepped on campus. How have you seen him grow? How is he different this year than he was last year going into camp again?
Jordan Marshall • 14:51
I, I've seen it a lot throughout camp. Is his communication when something maybe receiver doesn't do the same thing he thought he was going to do on the same page, he's going to talk to him. If maybe I see something differently, he's like, Jordan, why'd you do this? And maybe with the align on protection, why he's trying to understand every single thing, every single. He's trying to grow in his knowledge of the game while also making sure that he's on the same page. And that's what a quarterback has to do, is making sure that his titans on the same page when they're running a sit route. What window are you sitting in? Why'd you do this? And for also for somebody to be like, okay, that's on me or hey, can you do this maybe next time? And that's what a leader is, is figuring out where's that middle ground or meeting someone where they're at. And I think he's done a really good job at over communicating and not only with his teammates but with the coaches too, is, hey, I saw this.
Jordan Marshall • 15:56
What did you see? And I think that's what's going to make him a really good player, is learning and asking his teammates, but also asking coaching. Hey, I saw this. What did you see? Maybe they saw something different and maybe we'll go back and film and see something different. But the willingness to learn and understand everything on the field has really grown. And the communication part, I'm sure you
Jon Jansen • 16:20
guys have team goals, you have goals of winning a Big Ten championship, beating Ohio State, getting the college football playoffs, winning a national championship. You need great players to have great seasons to make that happen. If you could share with us what are the goals that you have and how does that translate into greatness for the team.
Jordan Marshall • 16:42
I would say the goals I have is being over a thousand yard rusher. I was just short of it last year. I also want to be one of the best pass blockers in the country when it comes to pass pro. And also I just want to be the best leader I can be every single day. No matter what my role is, no matter if I get one rush, no matter if I get one touchdown for one yard, it doesn't matter to me. Whatever I can do to help this team succeed and put them in the best position to win, that's what I want to do every single week. It doesn't matter if, if I'm the one with two hundred yards. It matters if we won the game at the end of the day and honestly if I'm healthy, that's, that's what matters to me. And that's my main goal is being healthy for this full season and making it throughout all sixteen games or whatever it is, all the way to the end.
Jon Jansen • 17:39
A lot of eyeballs. Also on the offensive line, you have the greatest perspective of anyone of their development. How are you seeing them grow not just together, but how are they creating and developing that relationship with Bryce and yourself?
Jordan Marshall • 17:54
I think Coach Harding does a great job and he's very intentional and hard on them. And I honestly think that Coach Harding is one of the best coaches on our team. And I think it's for that reason is he pushes these guys to another level and he's so committed to making sure that we, we bring back that award here to have that best alignment. And I remember walking into the weight room and that trophy just sitting there and we had to bring that thing back here. And I think those guys, Jake Fraze, Jake Fraze and Sprague are three of the guys critical to doing that. And we have a lot of other guys that I think can go play at guard, go play that rhino spot and. But I think those three guys are going to be a critical role of how this, how they want it to go. And I think they're doing a good job is they've got to play a lot of ball together. But I think they've done a good job is also communicating with Bryce and you have to have that, you have to be able to receive communication as well.
Jordan Marshall • 18:58
And again it's just exciting. We know what they can do in the run game. It's what, how can we protect Bryce? How can we over communicate to make sure that we're all on the same page, including myself, to put, make sure that he's a clean pocket and he can go step into throws and because it's going to be exciting and we're going to be dynamic and it's just us all binding together to make sure that we're sealing that pocket for him. And I think we've done a good job through eleven, but again, it's finding a little way to be better. A little way to be better all the way up until game day.
Jon Jansen • 19:36
Well, Jordan, appreciate it. Congratulations again and look forward to seeing you out there.
Jordan Marshall • 19:40
Yes, sir.
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Jon Jansen • 19:48
Well, thanks to both Jordan Marshall and Trey Pierce. Really excited to see what these guys do as leaders. That growth, as you heard from both of them, it doesn't stop now. It continues to go throughout the course of the season along with the leadership council. There's a lot of things in place to help support these guys and this football team. We're excited about it. So for everything that's going on in and around Michigan football, keep it locked in here on in the Trenches.
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Jeff Laurence • 20:12
Thanks for listening to this edition of in the Trenches with John Jansen, presented by Meijer, presenting sponsor of the twenty twenty six Michigan football season and proud supporter of hundreds of local sports teams across the Midwest, in the Trenches is part of our Michigan Athletics Podcast network, M GO Blue Podcasts. The preceding is a Learfield presentation of the Michigan Sports Network.
