The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1451622
2022 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE COLSTON LOVELAND TIGHT END 6-5 • 230 GOODING HIGH SCHOOL GOODING, IDAHO RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 266 13 1 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 245 14 1 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 10 1 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 14 1 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 11* 1 * Ranked as an H tight end 68 THE WOLVERINE MARCH 2022 STATISTICS Year Rec. Yds. TD 2021 62 968 14 2020 69 816 6 2019 91 1,147 14 2018 13 210 1 HONORS • Set school records for catches in a season, with 91, and in a game, with 19. • Led his team to a 9-1 record as a se- nior and the Class 3A state semifinals. • Earned Gatorade Idaho Player of the Year honors in football as a senior. • Three-time first-team All-State tight end per the Idaho Statesman. • 2021 ScorebookLive.com Offensive Player of the Year for Idaho. • Sawtooth Central Idaho Conference (SCIC) 2021 Co-Offensive MVP. RECRUITMENT • Pledged to Michigan June 4, 2021. • Picked U-M over notable offers from Auburn, Colorado and LSU. • Recruited by then-tight ends coach Jay Harbaugh. DID YOU KNOW? • Is an early enrollee at Michigan. • Also starred in basketball — in 2021 was first team All-Idaho and the SCIC Co-Player of the Year. Averaged 12.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.4 steals. • Born April 9, 2004. THEY SAID IT • On3 director of scouting and rankings Charles Power: "The more and more I looked at him, for a guy from Idaho, he checks all the boxes. He's a dominant high school player. Two-way player, extremely productive … the way you would want for a guy playing against lower-level competi- tion. Really good basketball player. So he kind of has the full, versatile, athletic profile you'd want." BY EJ HOLLAND Colston Loveland had a unique oppor- tunity shortly before enrolling at Michi- gan in January. The On300 tight end from Gooding (Idaho) High went through his usual morning weightlifting session in his high school weight room. But his lifting part- ner wasn't just another Gooding senior. It was Michigan head coach Jim Har- baugh. "He said he wanted to work out, so we got that in first thing," Loveland said. "We did some squats, pushups and curls. He surprised me. It was wild for sure. I was like, 'Damn, OK.' It was cool. It was a special moment. Not a lot of people can say they've done that." While Idaho isn't a state known for producing Division I-level football tal- ent, Loveland was labeled a unicorn by college coaches across the country. At 6-5, 230 pounds, he's built like a tank, runs routes like a wide receiver and has the speed of a running back. In fact, Loveland, who is ranked as the No. 14 tight end and No. 245 overall pros- pect nationally by On3, played every- thing from tight end to running back to quarterback to wide receiver to defensive end to linebacker as a senior at Gooding. "He played three different positions on defense and five different positions on offense," said Gooding head coach Cam- eron Anderson. "He learned to play each position and how to use his athleticism in space. That will be big for him at the next level. Michigan wants to use him as a flex end that can block and make plays." Former Michigan tight ends coach Jay Harbaugh identified him early on in the process and ultimately earned his verbal pledge over schools like Alabama, Au- burn, Arizona State, UCLA and Utah. "Coach Jay is cool," Loveland said. "He feels me, and I feel him. He's a really good coach. We've had meetings where we've talked through some stuff. I'm excited to be around him a lot more. A lot of our conversation on the in-home was casual and about me growing up, but there was some football for sure." Jim Harbaugh was personally involved in Loveland's recruitment and also made a huge impact. "As a person, he's a super good guy," Loveland said. "He kind of reminds me of someone from my town because he's super humble. He has a good work ethic. He knows what he wants, and he's going to go get it. That's what stands out about Coach Jim. He's a funny guy, too. There are no dull moments around him. And obviously, he's the Coach of the Year." Both Auburn and Arizona State made late runs for Loveland and their coaches even attended one of his high school games in late October. However, he felt comfortable at Michi- gan and enrolled at U-M in January. "Nothing really changed my mind," Loveland said. "Michigan just felt right. I couldn't see myself at any other col- lege. I'm excited to start working. I want to get on that workout plan and start growing." ❑ Early Enrollee Colston Loveland Was Blue All The Way Loveland played eight positions during his senior year, lining up everywhere from quar- terback and wide receiver to defensive end while earning Idaho Gatorade Player of the Year honors. PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND 2022 Projection Loveland was an impressive find by the Michigan staff in Idaho and fits the bill for a tight end in the Har- baugh era. With Erick All and Luke Schoonmaker returning for the 2022 season, playing time will be limited. Loveland could still see some snaps at tight end and on special teams, but will have the opportunity to fully immerse himself in the play- book and set himself up for success later in his career. consensus