2025 Marshall Football Predictions: Thundering Herd Ranked 95th in RJ Young's Ultimate 136

This isn't your average college football ranking.

My Ultimate 136 is a set of rankings that is fluid, but it's my job to look ahead and make a claim for all FBS teams based on what I know and why I know it. Here are the three pressing questions I started by asking when putting together this list:

• Who do I think is good?
• Why do I think they're good?
• What are the chances they will finish above or below my expectations?

Here is a look at where Marshall lands in my Ultimate 136.

Marshall ranking: 95
Last year’s ranking: 71
Top player: OL Jalen Slappy: Started all 13 games at right guard for Marshall last season, anchoring an offensive line that boasted a top-20 rushing attack in FBS (2,622).

[Marshall's 2025 schedule]

RJ’s take: When Charles Huff left Marshall for Southern Miss, he took everything that wasn't nailed down and looters took the stuff that was: Not a single quarterback on the Thundering Herd's depth chart threw for a single yard, only two men caught a pass and no linebacker played more than three snaps in Kelly Green and white in 2024.

Current head coach Tony Gibson has a dynasty-mode build on his hands, and it isn't likely to be quick unless quarterbacks Zion Turner or Carlos Del Rio-Wilson commence to ballin' like their middle names are Jim Jones. Running back Tony Mathis Jr. can be a 1,000-yard back, and former D-II Cal-PA defensive tackle Naquan Crowder can be a disrupter up front in theory — but we play games in practice.

[Check out RJ Young's Ultimate 136 College Football Rankings here]

Marshall Win Total Odds: Over 4.5 (-144) Under 4.5 (+118)

Have an issue with my rankings? Think your alma mater is too low, or your school's rival is too high? Get at me on X, @RJ_Young, and I'll select my favorite tweets and respond to them in a future article.

RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports. Follow him at @RJ_Young.

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Marshall Thundering Herd