Michigan hasn’t felt like a national champion since Jim Harbaugh left in 2023. Following two bumpy seasons and the December 2025 exit of former head coach Sherrone Moore, new head coach Kyle Whittingham is rebuilding the culture. Michigan running back Jordan Marshall recently opened up about what went wrong during those past two years.

“I think we had a community, but it [accountability] wasn’t there. You couldn’t call somebody out. Everybody was a little bit not trying to say anything, just passive,” said Marshall during his August 5 appearance on The Michigan Insider.

For Marshall, genuine leadership requires honesty. When players stayed silent during Moore’s two seasons as head coach, minor practice errors drifted into game days unnoticed. Without teammates confronting mistakes early, small slip-ups quickly turned into costly stumbles on the field.

Talent was certainly never the issue in Ann Arbor. The roster featured elite playmakers like Will Johnson, Mason Graham, and Derrick Moore. Yet talent alone could not shield them from falling to 8-5 in 2024 and 9-4 in 2025. When Kyle Whittingham took charge for 2026, he made direct, personal accountability his non-negotiable priority.

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Marshall sees a massive turnaround in how players talk to each other now. “I think we’ve done a better job of working together to call out when somebody’s not doing what they’re supposed to or praise somebody when they are doing what they’re supposed to. That’s exciting to see that your teammates have so much care for you that they want you to succeed,” he further stated.

The sophomore running back emphasized that this cultural reboot actually touches everyone in the building. “I’m closer to the defensive staff than I’ve ever been,” Marshall noted, adding that Coach Whittingham, OC Jason Beck and DC Jay Hill have formed genuine bonds with every player, from walk-ons to senior starters.

A correlation between offense, defense, and special teams is essential to avoid mistakes on game days, and that’s “what you need to have a good football team,” according to Marshall.

To build that trust, the team spent hours together away from the field this summer. Shared dinners, joint travel, and off-field hangouts helped players see each other as more than just teammates. These simple moments made tough, honest conversations during practice much easier to accept.

Real trust means feedback flows in both directions without ego. “That’s where the community comes in, where it doesn’t matter who’s saying something,” Marshall added. It appears a fifth-year guy can listen to a freshman’s feedback.

Whether this fresh discipline translates into wins remains the ultimate test as the 2026 season begins. But if Whittingham and Marshall can replace past passivity with real accountability, Michigan’s new culture won’t just repair their locker room, it could become the playbook for returning to national contention.