The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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32 THE WOLVERINE FEBRUARY 2023 32 THE WOLVERINE FEBRUARY 2023 2023 LOOK AHEAD TIGHT ENDS BY CLAYTON SAYFIE RETURNING STARTERS Sophomore Colston Loveland Loveland started four games and played in all 14 as a freshman, ranking fifth on the team with 235 yards re- ceiving on 16 catches, with 2 touchdowns. He came up big down the stretch with a 45-yard TD catch at Ohio State, a 25-yard score versus Purdue and 4 catches for 36 yards against TCU. OTHER RETURNERS Senior Matthew Hibner Hibner played in eight games — m o s t ly o n s p e c i a l tea m s — caught 2 passes for 15 yards and re- covered 1 fumble on kickoff cover- age against Maryland. Junior Max Bredeson The walk-on played in 14 games off the bench and caught 5 passes for 78 yards, while serv- ing primarily as a blocking tight end. Sophomore Marlin Klein The German import preserved his redshirt by playing in just two games as a freshman. NEWCOMERS Senior AJ Barner The Indiana transfer and former Hoosiers team captain racked up 28 receptions for 199 yards and 3 touchdowns this past season. The 6-foot-6, 250-pounder totaled 42 catches for 361 yards and 4 TDs in his career. Freshman Zack Marshall The three-star recruit was ranked as the No. 516 overall player in his class per the On3 Consensus. He enrolled early in January. Freshman Deakon Tonielli He's rated as a four-star and the 377th-best player in 2023 per the On3 Consensus, and will enroll this summer. 2023 ANALYSIS Michigan entered the 2022 season with two tight ends on the Mackey Award watch list — Erick All and Luke Schoon- maker — but the campaign did not play out the way many expected. After just three games, All shut his season down, electing to undergo back surgery. He went into the transfer portal in early De- cember and committed to Iowa. It was Schoonmaker, not All, who became the featured tight end, a role in which he shined enough to impress scouts, earn himself an East-West Shrine Bowl invite and declare for the NFL Draft. His 35 catches ranked second on the team, and his 418 receiving yards slotted third. Schoonmaker, All, Joel Honigford (out of eligibility) and Carter Selzer (out of eligi- bility) have all moved on, leaving quite a big void to fill. For tunately for Michigan, sophomore Colston Loveland had a breakout first sea- son in a winged helmet, earning freshman All-America honors from On3. His 2 touch- downs came in two of the biggest games of the year — at Ohio State and versus Purdue in the Big Ten title game. He had 12 catches over the last six games, and his role will only grow in 2023. Michigan has the need for multiple capable tight ends, though, given the Wolverines used more than one on 52.8 percent of their offen- sive snaps last year (64.3 percent of runs and 34.3 percent of passes), according to Sports Info Solutions. Jim Harbaugh-coached teams have been known for involving the tight ends, and they're a big part of the run game. There's not much returning experience, with junior walk-on Max Bredeson serving mostly as a run blocker but not proving himself as a pass-catcher (5 catches for 78 yards). As a result, position coach Grant Newsome and Co. offered multiple tight ends out of the transfer portal and quickly landed former In- diana standout AJ Barner, who has two years of eligibility remaining. Not only is Barner an established receiver at this level, but he's also a solid run blocker, ranking 10th among Big Ten tight ends who had more than 108 run- blocking snaps in posting a 59.7 PFF grade in that category in 2022. His 65.2 rating on gap-scheme runs slots fifth in the conference. Loveland and Barner are a top two to be reck- oned with, plus there are younger players with potential. Bredeson is a versatile piece who can also serve as a blocker out of an H-back posi- tion, and Matthew Hibner is a solid veteran who hasn't yet received his opportunity. — Clayton Sayfie PHOTO BY DOMINICK SOKOTOFF