The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1503142
[ T I G H T E N D S ] 66 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2023 FOOTBALL PREVIEW A New Look Michigan's Tight End Room Will Feature Opportunity For Several New Faces In 2023 BY CHRIS BALAS E very year when the Big Ten football previews start to trickle out, names come up of players who seem like they've been around forever. Last sea- son's list would have included at least a few Michigan players, including tight end Luke Schoonmaker. "Schoony" finally graduated, but not before leaving a legacy as one of the lead- ers of a group that helped change the cul- ture at Michigan, capturing two Big Ten championships. He played through pain last year to earn third-team All-Big Ten honors and went to the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the draft, the ultimate reward for his years of service in maize and blue. With Schoonmaker gone and fellow veteran Erick All having transferred to Iowa, the Wolverines will turn to others to shoulder the load in 2023. One — sopho- more Colston Loveland — has the poten- tial to be one of the better pass catchers U-M has ever seen at the position. "The crazy thing is we saw this with Colston in the spring of 2022. We knew we had a pretty special player," tight ends coach Grant Newsome said. "With Erick going down and then Schoony coming in and out of some games, we were banged up a little bit in the middle of the season. "Colston never missed a beat. He capi- talized on those opportunities and carved out a role for himself as a true freshman. He's worked incredibly hard." And played so well that he earned Mich- igan's Offensive and co-Special Teams Rookie of the Year awards after catching 16 passes for 235 yards with 2 touchdowns. The TDs were both huge — a 45-yarder at Ohio State that gave Michigan a lead it wouldn't relinquish in a 45-23 win over the Buckeyes, and a 25-yarder in the Big Ten Championship Game against Purdue. His teammates saw the potential early, too. Graduating tight end Joel Honigford said this spring his ceil- ing was higher than anybody he's ever seen at Michigan, before or after he got there, given Love- land's combination of work ethic and ability. But with two veterans gone, grabbing another tight end from the portal to complement Loveland be- came a priority. The Wolverines didn't wait to nab a good one in A.J. Barner. The Indiana transfer and former captain caught 28 passes for 199 yards and 3 touchdowns and was one of the team's leaders last year. He's proven to be a great fit in the locker room and showed his ability in the spring game, catch- ing 3 passes for 30 yards and a 19-yard touchdown. Barner pledged to the Wolverines Dec. 20, with Michigan running backs coach Mike Hart — formerly the Indi- ana associate head coach — playing a major role. "We're super excited about him," New- some said. "Losing Schoony, losing Joel, we're losing that inline, wide tight end body. We're bringing in a guy who has excelled at that role and has started in our conference. "It just made all the sense in the world to bring a guy like that who can come in and contribute immediately and fight for a starting spot." His combination of blocking and pass catching ability made him a perfect fit, Newsome added. "First, he's just physically very impos- ing [at 6-foot-6, 250 pounds], extremely well-built, very tall, athletic and physi- cal," the coach continued. QUICK FACTS Position Coach: Grant Newsome (second year coaching TEs at U-M, fourth overall) Returning Starters: Colston Loveland (5 career starts) Departing Starters: Luke Schoonmaker (21), Erick All (12) Projected New Starter: N/A Top Reserves: A.J. Barner (11 at Indiana), Max Bredeson (1), Matthew Hibner Wait Until 2024: Marlin Klein Newcomers: Zack Marshall, Deakon Tonielli Moved In: Barner Moved Out: All, Louis Hansen Rookie Impact: N/A Most Improved Player: Loveland Best Pro Prospect: Loveland SCHOLARSHIP ROSTER No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. 89 A.J. Barner TE 6-6 250 Sr. 44 Max Bredeson TE 6-2 232 Jr. 88 Matthew Hibner TE 6-5 245 Sr. 17 Marlin Klein TE 6-6 245 So. 18 Colston Loveland TE 6-5 237 So. 83 Zack Marshall TE 6-4 220 Fr. — Deakon Tonielli TE 6-5 230 Fr. Colston Loveland earned Michigan's Offensive and co-Special Teams Rookie of the Year awards in 2022. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL