In the Trenches 590 - Andrew Marsh & Micah Simon Transcript
6/10/2026 9:52:00 AM | MGoBlue Podcasts
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Jeff Laurence • 00:06
Welcome to the official podcast of Michigan Football in the Trenches with Jon 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.
Andrew Marsh • 00:28
I feel like we're able to move and really push the ten tempo kind of, kind of in a sense always like we can kind of always push the tempo and I feel like that's really good, especially for offense, being able to keep the defense moving, really just keep them on their toes.
Jeff Laurence • 00:43
This is in the Trenches presented by Meijer. Once again, here's Jon Jansen.
Jon Jansen • 00:49
oined now by a freshman All American, Andrew Marsh. Andrew, thanks for joining me. I guess the first one, you may have already answered this question. I haven't heard the answer to it, but you made a number change. You went from four to three. Why did you make the change?
Andrew Marsh • 01:02
For me, it was kind of just going back to my original number three three some I've always worn since I was three, really in every sport I've ever played. So kind of just getting back to that.
Jon Jansen • 01:14
Is it just one of those things that's all you knew, or is there something when you were younger as to why you picked three at that age?
Andrew Marsh • 01:21
I want to say it's kind of just a. All I knew is the first number I really wore and ever since then it just stuck with me.
Jon Jansen • 01:28
This offense is new to everybody and we were just talking before we went on, but I'd love to get your thoughts on what you. How do you feel about this offense?
Andrew Marsh • 01:36
I feel great about it, to be honest. Moving forward this year, I feel like there's so much freedom really route running and kind of conceptually I really feel like every five guys on a team can be an option each play.
Jon Jansen • 01:52
Yeah, I was hearing the same thing from Zach Marshall when I was talking to them to him and he said, yeah, you know, you're not necessarily the third option. All five guys are open. How does that change? Or does it change how your approach you're out.
Andrew Marsh • 02:08
It can kind of change a little bit, but really it kind of just gives you more freedom, more freedom to get open, more freedom to work with the quarterback and kind of just have the chemistry there.
Jon Jansen • 02:19
The efficiency of this offense is a lot of times with a new offense you'll, you know, you'll see delay of games and I'm sure maybe there'll be some things you guys can work on. But when, you know, when push comes to shove and you are in games on in the fall is this seems to be the communication is a very efficient way of getting everybody the play call, but not everybody's getting the same information.
Andrew Marsh • 02:44
Yeah, I feel like it's super, super efficient. I feel like we're able to move and really push the tempo kind of, kind of in a sense always like we can kind of always push the tempo and I feel like that's really good, especially for offense, being able to keep the defense moving, really just keep them on their toes, eliminate substitutions and stuff like that.
Jon Jansen • 03:06
The room dynamics have changed. Some guys have graduated, other guys have come in as transfers, freshmen. How would you describe the wide receiver room right now?
Andrew Marsh • 03:14
I love the room right now. I feel like some of the new additions, we've got Jaime, JJ, Salesi, Travis, even some of the old guys that we have returning. I feel like we're all so well rounded and for the first time in a while I feel like Michigan receiver room is really going to do something special this year.
Jon Jansen • 03:35
Coach Simon, it's a new voice in there. How have you guys taken to his message and how he coaches you guys?
Andrew Marsh • 03:41
Coach Simon, I've been liking him. I feel like all the guys in the room like him. He's. He's a younger guy. He comes in, he definitely real relatable and I mean he's smart. He has a lot of good knowledge for us and so really just taking it day by day. We don't.
Jon Jansen • 03:57
This may seem like for some an easy question to answer and maybe it is for you as well in regards. I know you had twelve catches in the. In the Northwestern game, but when you look back on your freshman season, what was. What was your favorite game that you played in? Maybe it was. Maybe it could even come down to one play.
Andrew Marsh • 04:13
Um, I would say probably Northwestern. Um, yeah, probably Northwestern for me would be my favorite game.
Jon Jansen • 04:21
Did that also have to do with playing at Wrigley?
Andrew Marsh • 04:24
Yeah, it did. And it's funny, me and a few of the guys were just talking about it like fifteen minutes ago. Really just the stadium. Wrigley getting to play there was such a crazy experience.
Jon Jansen • 04:35
When you think about venues like that. Or is there another venue that maybe doesn't host football games that you thought it would be really cool to play there? Mm,
Andrew Marsh • 04:48
not really. To be honest, I feel like I haven't given it too much thought, but I know we were supposed to go out of the country to play a game, so I still think that that would be a great idea.
Jon Jansen • 04:58
That'd be Cool. So, okay, pick your country. Which one do you want to play in? Because the NFL's been. Shoot. I mean, I'm gonna miss some of them, but I know that. I know there's plans to play in Australia. Yeah, they played in Rio. Not a country, but a city that would be lit. So, man, you would go to Brazil?
Andrew Marsh • 05:16
Yeah, I'll go to Brazil. Brazil or like, maybe Africa or.
Jon Jansen • 05:20
Okay. When you look at what you did last year, obviously every year you want to be a little bit better. What are some of the things that you're working on this off season to make you a better receiver come fall?
Andrew Marsh • 05:35
Really just working on everything. Working. Working on the speed of my game, really just. Just being more all around in. In every phase of the game. To me, I really just want to be able to come out and prove to everybody what I can do as a receiver and what I can bring to the table.
Jon Jansen • 05:53
The more experience you get, the more comfortable you're out there. Everybody talks about the game slowing down. Was there a moment last year where it. It just. The game slowed down? Is it slowed down for you? Even more so now, even though it is a new offense?
Andrew Marsh • 06:06
I would say for me, it kind of slowed down for me during Northwestern. I would say kind of after that. I feel like that was like my game where I kind of got going and really got to see what it's all about. And even more so now, like you said, really just looking forward to going out there this year. Really looking forward to it.
Jon Jansen • 06:28
Bryce will be in year two. You're going to be in year two. You guys, you know, your tracks are the same. What's it like working with him this offseason as opposed to maybe even last offseason?
Andrew Marsh • 06:38
I mean, it's great. I mean, as a receiver, you can't ask for much more. To be honest, he's probably the best quarterback I've ever played with. And so really just knowing that he's here with me along for the ride, I'm excited to see what we can go do.
Jon Jansen • 06:52
How important is that relationship between receiver and quarterback? How would you describe it?
Andrew Marsh • 06:56
It's super important. I mean, without him, there's no receiver. Without me, there's no quarterback. So I feel like at the end of the day, we're a good combo. And as it should be in a
Jon Jansen • 07:08
receiver and quarterback duo, there's always going to be more knowledge, more things put into an offense. Where does the receiver room need to get to between now and the start of fall camp?
Andrew Marsh • 07:20
I feel like we just got to Keep growing. We got to keep pushing the pace, got to keep pushing the energy, really just being intentional with everything we do. But I feel like we're on the right track, and I'm really excited to see what we can do this year.
Jon Jansen • 07:32
You get a front row seat to watch the development of the defensive backs as well. What's it been like playing against those guys? What was it like in spring ball, and how were you guys working together throughout the off season?
Andrew Marsh • 07:44
I mean, it's been scary just seeing the development of them. I feel like they're all reaching new levels and especially the guys returning, I feel like they've just been getting better day in day, starting to pick up on different concepts, different ways we run routes and stuff like that. So I'm really excited to see them play this season.
Jon Jansen • 08:03
I try and ask not everybody, but some of the guys that we know are going to be, you know, major contributors, guys that are going to be influence. A big influence on this team and the success of this team. Your initial response to the relationship between you and Coach Whittingham, what's that been like?
Andrew Marsh • 08:24
I feel like it's been good. Me and Coach Whitt, I feel like we have a really good relationship so far. I mean, every time we talk, it's always a good conversation.
Jon Jansen • 08:34
How do. How is he developing those relationships with the players?
Andrew Marsh • 08:38
I feel like he does a great job. He's someone that we can go talk to all the time, and he always has meetings with us and stuff like that.
Jon Jansen • 08:46
How do you set goals for the upcoming season? And I don't know if you want to share some of them or not, but what are some of your goals for the upcoming year?
Andrew Marsh • 08:57
For me, it's really simple. It's really just a few. I want to go win the national championship. As a football player, I kind of learned. You learned that you win the national championship, everything else will kind of take care of itself. Obviously, I want to. I really want to be the best. Just prove that I'm the best receiver in college football this year and get over a thousand yards.
Jon Jansen • 09:19
Andrew, thanks for your time and best of luck this coming fall.
Andrew Marsh • 09:22
Yes, sir. Thank you.
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Jon Jansen • 09:31
Joined now by the new wide receiver, coach Micah Simon. And coach, first of all, thanks for joining me. Welcome to Ann Arbor. And you're not that far removed from playing. Is there a benefit, whether it's recruiting or relating to the players, that it was only a matter of what, four years ago that you were still playing the game?
Micah Simon • 09:48
Yeah, definitely it is. I definitely have a unique perspective on you Know, my role as a coach and like you said, yeah, you know, youngest on the staff. I, you know, it's just great to kind of be in this opportunity. And it definitely gives me a different lens on recruiting, on evaluating, on relationships with the players, with the players families, and it's something that I, you know, I never take for granted, and I want to continue to grow and just get better at.
Jon Jansen • 10:21
So you were done at BYU as a wide receiver in nineteen. Not a lot of football was played in twenty twenty, but then you spent a year with the Panthers. The question I have, though, is you spent some time up in Canada with the BC Lions. What was it like playing in Canada and how different is Canadian football versus American football?
Micah Simon • 10:45
Yeah, it's a completely different game. You know, even me, you know, I thought, like, oh, okay, yeah, it's football. I'll go up there to Canada and just play and pick it up easily. But no, completely different, you know, playbook. There's completely different rules. You know, obviously, the main one is, you know, the twelve guys on the field and motioning forward, multiple guys in motion at the same time. You know, those are the main ones people see. But, you know, the field's different. The. The scoring can be different. So it's. It's a completely different game. And that was definitely a unique perspective as well. Just, you know, getting to know different people and being around different people, being around a different culture. So just every experience I've had in. In football has helped me be in the position I am in now.
Jon Jansen • 11:27
I want to ask you about the size of the field, because that's one thing. I mean, when you see it on tv, it really doesn't necessarily resonate like it would necessarily playing on it. But as being a wide receiver, that had to be. What. Was it weird? Was there a lot of space?
Micah Simon • 11:42
Too much space, you would say, you know? Yeah, just, you know, so much space. The thing that would always trip me up was, you know, the goalpost, you know, I think was, you know, at the front of the end zone. So you still do it? No, thankfully, you watched the film from,
Jon Jansen • 11:59
like, nineteen forty, and people are running in a goalpost because it was the same. Same thing was at the front of the end zone.
Micah Simon • 12:04
Yeah. So it's just a completely different deal. But it's awesome, you know, and there's a lot of people that, you know, I know that are still playing up there, which is. Which is awesome to see.
Jon Jansen • 12:13
What is it that shaped you as a player that now you bring to coaching, man?
Micah Simon • 12:19
Yeah, great question. You know, for me, I have a unique perspective. Just being a quarterback in high school and being recruited, you know, I knew I was going to play receiver in college, but being recruited as a receiver and you know, honestly, you know, having a, having a shaky, you know, three, four years initially in college and you know, it wasn't what I thought it was going to be, a lot of ups and downs, but continued to, you know, just put my head down and work and trust the process and yeah, was able to, you know, be a two time captain junior and senior year and go on to have a good senior season and you know, like we talked about, have a chance to be in the NFL. And just all those, you know, trials that I've been through has shaped me into being a coach and just, it gives me the perspective on whatever these kids are dealing with. I can relate and I can share that, share with them a story of me in a similar position or share with them something that, you know, I've learned from that.
Micah Simon • 13:20
So it's, it's all great things and I'm glad to be in that position.
Jon Jansen • 13:24
You were in three different spots now, four with Coach Beck. You started off in Syracuse, New Mexico, Utah, and now Michigan. You took a detour to Northern Colorado where you were a wide receiver coach, position coach for the first time. What have you learned along the way? That maybe what, how are you different as a coach now than when you started at Syracuse back in twenty two?
Micah Simon • 13:47
Yeah, definitely more confident in my voice, confident in my teaching ability, confident in recruiting ability, you know, even confident in game planning and seeing things that are happening on the field in real time. All of those experience I had at other places have definitely shaped me to be the coach I am now. And a big part of that is through Jason. Just. I've never met a coach that gives a graduate assistant or an analyst just so much leeway to have a voice even you're not. The guy that's just in the corner in a meeting room, he will ask you what you think. He will test you, you know, quiz you. Like. He, he is all about pushing you to be a better coach. And he, he's very particular on, on, on having guys in that room because he, if you're going to be in that room with him as a young coach, he, he really believes in you.
Jon Jansen • 14:46
It's not that long ago that you made that decision. Sometimes I ask a coach who's been a coach for thirty years, like, why'd you get into coaching? And, and they give you some long answer about why they're still in coaching. Why did you decide to go from player to coach?
Micah Simon • 15:00
Yeah, I had a mentor in college that, you know, my junior year, he kind of mentioned it to me, just jokingly, just, hey, you'd be a great coach. And I was like, okay, yeah, sure, you know, just at the time. But, yeah, once, you know, the playing day started to end, I always had, you know, an act of understanding the game from a different level. And I had a love of teaching, you know, as a junior, as a senior. I love being with the freshmen and helping them get up to speed. So I just kind of always had that in the back of my mind of it's a skill of mine and something that, you know, I enjoy and love doing, and then now, you know, fully being in it. There's no better joy than seeing these kids reach their goals and reach their potentials.
Jon Jansen • 15:47
You got some returners, got some new guys in there. They're all new to you. But it's. I'm curious. We'll talk about individuals in just a moment. But when you look at the room that you've inherited with some transfers in there, what do you see when you look in that room?
Micah Simon • 16:05
I see a group that competes, you know, a group that's hungry, a group that is willing. You know, there's never a day being with these guys that they don't show up ready to work with the right mindset. And, you know, I always talk about them, you know, with the gas meter, which is just, you know, just the effort and the mindset, the mentality, and every single day, they're. They're ready to go in that regard. And that's. That's all you want as a coach?
Jon Jansen • 16:32
Well, let's start with Andrew Marsh, a guy that, you know, fans are very familiar with, Had a tremendous freshman season. What did you see through from him since you've been on campus, and what are your expectations moving forward? What does he need to continue to work on?
Micah Simon • 16:47
Yeah, love Andrew. You know, he is a extremely talented player. And, you know, being from Texas, you know, I saw the kid coming through high school and, yeah, extremely talented. And so much, you know, untapped potential that he has as well that he will be able to grow in his game to be an even better player. But from what I. What I saw from him through spring was. Was a kid that just really got comfortable with the skill set. You know, he. He knew what works for him on the field. He knew how to attack, he knew how to finish plays. And now we're just, you know, working on refining some different skills that he can have in his skill set and, you know, working on his, you know, vocal leadership even more. You know, the guys on the team, the guys in the room, they look, they look to him to be that leader. And you got to remember, right, he's nineteen years old.
Micah Simon • 17:46
This is just his second year. He's been one year here, you know, at Michigan. So just helping him be even better in that regard. But I love what I see from him and expecting major, major things for him this season.
Jon Jansen • 17:59
Jaime Ffrench, transfer from Texas. What, what intrigued you about him and why bring him to the football program? What does he bring to the program?
Micah Simon • 18:08
Yeah, definitely brings a lot of speed and, you know, a lot of competitiveness and just heart. You know, he. He goes one thousand miles per hour every single day. And he is all about learning. He is all about being coached hard and yeah, just wanted an opportunity to showcase his ability. And you know, with the recruiting and everything these days, like, you know, he was able to know Andrew through recruiting process. He was able to know Bryce through the process. So it was a very, very, you know, I don't want to say easy deal like once, once he was in the portal, but all those connections that he had with guys on the team now and then once we're able to get on the phone and I can talk with his parents and they can understand our vision and our plan for him, it was really a match made.
Jon Jansen • 18:58
The guy that you coached last year came over from Utah as well, JJ Buchanan and everything that I've researched on him. Everybody talks about him as a weapon, what type of weapon and how, how does he grow in this offense that he's familiar with and the benefit of having him in that room.
Micah Simon • 19:16
Yeah, you know, he, he has a, you know, unique story as well. Just being, you know, really tight end at the beginning of the season last year and also showed up in the summer, you know, he did not have a spring ball, so he showed up in the. In June and learned the offense, gained our trust through fall camp. And then there you. There, you know, he's starting week one against UCLA in the Rose bowl as a true freshman. And then it just continued to grow from there. And, and it was about week three as we continued to evaluate and you know, myself, coach, Coach Whittingham and Coach Beck, it was like, okay, he's a receiver. So we moved into my room. And when you get moved like that in the early part of the year, there's not a lot of time to really hone in on your Individual skills. It's a lot of scheme, it's a lot of how do you attack the defenses week in and week out.
Micah Simon • 20:07
And that was a lot of what we did with him. And he was able to be successful. So now having a full spring with him, he has grown his game in so many different ways. I mean, he can line up all over the field. He's moving faster than he ever has, he's twitchier. It's, it's. It's exciting to see his growth and I'm expecting major things for him this season as well.
Jon Jansen • 20:29
Is there a benefit of having in the room in regards to. Information comes from Coach Beck, comes from you, but to have that voice of this is what it looked like on the field, the terminology. Is there a benefit of having somebody that's been in the offense as a part of that room?
Micah Simon • 20:44
Definitely. You know, one of the biggest helps were that January, while coaches, you know, we're out on the road recruiting and getting that stuff going, and he's here with the boys and already teaching them the offense and they're spending time together on the field throwing, and he's able to, you know, articulate what we're trying to accomplish on offense. So it's a huge help. And, you know, he's. He's another kid, like, you know, as you look at the room, you know, the room is young on paper, so he's another guy that just pushing to be that vocal leader and grow in that regard.
Jon Jansen • 21:21
Salesi Moa, another kid that was committed to Utah, was an early enrollee, made the transfer over here. What does he bring to Michigan?
Micah Simon • 21:30
He is. He's going to be an exciting player, a special player. There are a lot of things he does that is just natural. He sometimes, I don't think he realizes what he does on the field, and sometimes he does just things are so smooth for him. So he will be able to bring a lot of different ability, you know, moving them around from outside, inside, and excited to see his growth and development over the summer and fall camp. And yeah, he'll definitely see the field this year.
Jon Jansen • 21:59
How do you work a freshman into the bunch? Because, I mean, certainly there are some guys that have such a talent that they just need. They're day one starters for those guys that aren't. How do you develop the trust that they know enough of the playbook that they see enough, they make the right reads and that they'll hold onto the ball when they catch it? How do, how do you make that judgment?
Micah Simon • 22:21
Yeah, you know, there's A saying in our receiver room. You know, the speed of information. You know, we want to be the fastest learners in the country, and if we can learn faster than other receiver rooms, then we'll be better. So I create a environment to expedite the learning. And as freshmen come in, it is force freedom. It's force feed him early, and it's have him drink from a fire hose. There's gonna be mistakes, but then at some point, either the breakthrough happens or you realize, okay, maybe I need to scale back for this specific kid, But I'll never slow down the entire group for one kid. But I can piecemeal his to be more individually suited for him to be more confident and be more prepared to perform at a higher level. But the way that I try to teach and the way that we environment, man, it is. It is just. It is full speed ahead, Full speed ahead.
Jon Jansen • 23:22
Jamar Browder is a unique athlete. Tall, long, he's got some speed. What have you seen from him?
Micah Simon • 23:29
Yeah, you know, he's another kid that just is. Is young. Like, there's. There's a lot of. Of these kids that still have so much untapped potential. There's just a lot of individual skills that they need to continue to work on. But, yeah, like you said, I mean, the kid's six five six, four six five, you know, two, two hundred twenty, and he's not slow, you know, large catch, rad. So we'll just got to continue to push him to really reach, you know, all. All the potential that he has, but excited to see his growth over the summer as well.
Jon Jansen • 24:00
Coach, thanks for your time, and hopefully you get settled here in Ann Arbor.
Micah Simon • 24:05
My man. Appreciate you. Thanks for having me. Go Blue.
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Jeff Laurence • 24:07
Thanks for listening to this edition of in the Trenches with Jon 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.
