The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1340560
2021 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE even Nick Eubanks — heading out this year for his own NFL shot — were solid but all somewhat incon- sistent in their years at Michigan, both as pass catchers and blockers. Hansen took a good, long second look at Michigan when he learned Jay Harbaugh, not Sherrone Moore, would be the Wolverines' tight end coach. He found plenty to like after Moore switched to mentoring the of- fensive line and Harbaugh moved over from running backs coach. "I'm very excited to play for him. I talked to him a few times over Face- Time, but honestly didn't know too much about him until he got the job," Hansen admitted. "I obviously knew he coached running backs and spe- cial teams, but I didn't know until I started researching him a little that he was tight ends coach in the 2015 and 2016 seasons and coached Jake Butt. "I think [Butt] was one of the best to come out of Michigan in a long time. [Harbaugh] is a great guy. I'm excited to learn from him." Hansen will enter this summer with plenty to offer, as both a tight end and leader. If his senior sports season had not been canceled, he would've been a four-year varsity starter and team captain. Hansen seemed primed for a huge final campaign, one that could have elevated him even further in the prep rankings, before COVID-19 shut it down. He concentrated on building muscle in the weight room instead, but the news was tough for him. "One of the reasons I stayed for the whole year rather than enrolling early at Michigan was the guys I have in my school that I've built relationships with," he said. "It was really tough to have that taken away from us. I really felt this was a year we were going to do awesome things as a group and also individually. A lot of hard work wasn't realized, and it was a shame." Hansen even opted to bypass his final season of high school basket- ball — another sport where he was on track to be a four-year varsity starter and team captain — to focus on pre- paring for college football. "I've put in a lot of work in the gym, stayed there a lot longer than normal," he explained. "I crossed basketball off the schedule, and I think the extra time has really helped me develop a lot more. Throughout my high school career, I've normally gained 15 to 25 pounds every year, and I've done that just in the two months since I stopped playing." He's also worked on his speed and agility, understanding that compet- ing with the next-level competition requires even more time and effort. That's especially true if he's going to see the field as a true freshman, one of his goals. "I'm feeling myself develop and grow a lot faster than the past," he said. "I'm excited to see how it trans- lates on the field, because obviously I didn't get to see that this fall." The next time will be on the Michi- gan Stadium and practice field turf, and he can't wait to get started. ❑ The four-star Hansen was rated the No. 5 tight end in the country and the No. 83 player over- all nationally by Rivals.com. PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND MARCH 2021 THE WOLVERINE 45 THEY SAID IT • Belmont Hill head coach Chris Butler, who played against Hansen in 2019: " We double - covered him with a guy underneath and one over the top, and there was still nothing we could do to stop him. He's that kind of caliber of an athlete, but he also has great body control and an outstanding catch radius. "Hansen is a weapon to have on of- fense, because he can go up and take away the football from a defender who has him covered well. He can out- physical any kid in man coverage, but is also extremely smart and understands where to sit down in zones." • Rivals.com East Coast recruiting analyst Adam Friedman: "Hansen brings a lot to the table as a flex tight end, but he also is physical enough and strong enough to be an end-line tight end as well. Expect Michigan to use him in a variety of ways but, most impor- tantly, he'll be a great red-zone threat and should create mismatches in the middle of the field with linebackers and safeties." Rivals.com East Coast recruiting analyst Adam Friedman "He's added weight but remained athletic, has really good speed for a big tight end and very good hands. There's a reason he's in the Rivals100."