ESPN Recruiting Nation Football

With seven commitments in the ESPN 150, Michigan has been on a roll in the 2014 class. That continued Saturday as the Wolverines picked up their eighth ESPN 150 prospect.

Defensive end Lawrence Marshall (Southfield, Mich./Southfield) confirmed in a text message that he committed to Michigan while on a visit Saturday.

The No. 107 ranked player in the country originally made his pledge to Ohio State in February, but that only lasted a few days. Marshall decommitted from Ohio State after visiting Michigan and Michigan State and since then mainly focused on the in-state schools.

Many believed that the Spartans held the upper hand with Marshall, but Michigan had a secret weapon on its side. Wide receiver commit Maurice Ways (Beverly Hills, Mich./Country Day) has been friends with Marshall since middle school and put in some extra work to recruit his longtime friend to Michigan. Ways said at a recent camp that he believed his recruiting pitch to Marshall was working, and it turns out he was right.

The 6-foot-4, 230-pound prospect is likely a weakside defensive end at the next level. He has added good weight in recent months while maintaining his quickness off the line. He will add size and speed to Michigan's pass rush.

Marshall's commitment gives Michigan nine total commitments and two defensive line commits to go along with defensive tackle Bryan Mone (Salt Lake City/Highland). Michigan is being considered by some other top-ranked defensive line prospects and Marshall's commitment likely won't deter those efforts.

The overall No. 4-ranked prospect, Da'Shawn Hand (Woodbridge, Va./Woodbridge), still holds Michigan in his top group and is probably best suited at strong-side defensive end in college. His recruitment shouldn't be impacted by Marshall. The same goes for defensive tackle target Malik McDowell (Detroit/Loyola), who also holds Michigan very high on his list.

Inspired by Florida's "#ComePlayWRFortheJoker" campaign">Florida's "#ComePlayWRFortheJoker" campaign, our recruiting writers looked at other ways schools can sell themselves on the trail. Here's a look at recruiting pitches for the Big Ten:

Illinois Illini
What they’re selling: A chance to rebuild a program from the ground up, beginning with four-star quarterback Aaron Bailey, who signed in 2013.
What they’re missing: Just about all of the top prospects from their own state.

Indiana Hoosiers
What they’re selling: Indiana coach Kevin Wilson embraces the idea of a college spring break and is ready to head to Cancun with some of his players.
What they’re missing: Wilson looks like he might hold the group up in Mexico, however, as he still needs the assistance of a flotation device. Points that it is in the shape of a turtle, though.

Iowa Hawkeyes
What they’re selling: Iowa boasts one of the few staffs that can say they will be there all four years of a recruit’s career and has the history to back it up. Kirk Ferentz is the longest tenured coach in the Big Ten and it’s not even close.
What they’re missing: Out-of-state prospects tend to think Iowa is all cornfields, leaving the staff to battle that misconception countless times throughout the recruiting cycle.

Michigan Wolverines
What they’re selling: Michigan coach Brady Hoke looks like an outlaw patrolling the sideline on Saturdays without a headset.
What they’re missing: The player who graces the NCAA Football 2014 cover Denard Robinson. "Shoelace" was one of the Wolverines’ best recruiting tools.

Michigan State Spartans
What they’re selling: Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio is the man behind Little Giants, one of the greatest trick plays of the last few decades.
What they’re missing: A trip to a Rose Bowl under Dantonio would put Michigan State over the top when it comes to recruiting. There is already a significant difference in the caliber of player the Spartans are now getting compared to just a few seasons ago.

Minnesota Gophers
What they’re selling: The Gophers boast the biggest locker room in college football.
What they’re missing: They have not had a winning season since 2008.

Nebraska Cornhuskers
What they’re selling: Bo Pelini whipped out “The Bernie” in the Huskers’ Harlem Shake video. Harlem Shake equals instant credibility with recruits.
What they’re missing: A lack of a strong base of in-state talent makes it tough to recruit at Nebraska, and a Harlem Shake video can overcome only so much.

Northwestern Wildcats
What they’re selling: The new facilities are right near Lake Michigan, which, as assistant Bob Heffner is telling recruits, is a great spot for fishing.
What they’re missing: Not too many high schoolers in New Jersey have taken up fishing as a hobby. At least not yet.

Ohio State Buckeyes
What they’re selling: Urban Meyer is bringing SEC speed to the Big Ten.
What they’re missing: Has anyone actually clocked Meyer in the 40-yard dash? How fast is he really?

Penn State Nittany Lions
What they’re selling: Beaver Stadium fits more than 106,000 on Saturdays, making it the second largest stadium in the country. Inside is also one of the country’s most passionate fan bases, and ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit once listed Penn State’s student section as “simply the loudest, most supportive student section in college football.”
What they’re missing: A full slate of scholarships and a chance to play for a Big Ten title the next few years.

Purdue Boilermakers
What they’re selling: Few programs have the history Purdue does at quarterback, and former Boilermakers Drew Brees, Kyle Orton and Curtis Painter are all on NFL rosters. The Boilermakers just signed ESPN 300 QB Danny Etling, too.
What they’re missing: Brees, Orton and Painter.

Wisconsin Badgers
What they’re selling: The Badgers have been to three straight Rose Bowls.
What they’re missing: The coach who took them there.