The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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[ T I G H T E N D S ] THE WOLVERINE 2023 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 67 "He can do all the kind of inline blocking that we ask our guys to do, which is not the case across the country. It's tough to do, and he's done it not just in college, but in this conference, which is tough. "He fits all that we do. He can handle the inline stuff and the run- ning game, but then he is also able to flex out and catch passes." Those qualities make him a true dual-threat and another weapon for junior quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Emerging Depth Will Be Paramount As has been proven at Michigan over the last several years, playing tight end takes a toll on the body. All and Schoon- maker both played through injuries — A l l h a d to be shut down early last year after requir- ing surgery — leaving others to ca r ry t h e load. Developing depth is always huge, and the Wolverines have sev- eral options behind Loveland and Barner they hope will step up. O n e — s e n i o r M a t t H i b n e r — seems ready to take the next step. Though he hasn't been a huge part of the passing game, having caught only 2 passes for 15 yards (both last year), he made big strides this spring. His 55-yard catch and run in the spring game was an eye-opener, especially when he pulled away from some speedy linebackers. He's waited his turn, Newsome noted, and now it's his time to make a move. "Matt's doing an incredible job. I really think highly of him. He's showing up on special teams —he recovered a fumble against Mary- land [on the opening kick last year] and had 3 tackles on special teams, including a big hit against Purdue," noted Newsome. "I'm excited to see how that trans- lates more to tight end." Junior Max Bredeson, meanwhile, was one of the team's pleasant sur- prises a year ago. The former prep quarterback and brother of former Michigan All-Big Ten and current NFL lineman Ben Bredeson has some of his brother's traits in that he loves PRESEASON ANALYSIS STARTER ★★★★ Two stand out above the rest — Colston Loveland and A.J. Barner — and one (Love- land) has All-America potential. We'd be sur- prised, in fact, if the sophomore didn't earn All-Big Ten honors this season. He should be featured more in the passing game, in the mold of former Michigan greats Jerame Tuman (1997) and Bennie Joppru (2002). In- diana transfer Barner is a great fit, a Big Ten veteran who can block and catch. He'll get his opportunities to do both. DEPTH ★★★ Former walk-on Max Bredeson was one of last year's surprises and will come back big- ger and stronger this year. He'll have a role. It's time for senior Matt Hibner to take his game to another level, and he's capable — he had a great spring and showed his speed more than once. He's been waiting patiently for his opportunity. Sophomore Marlin Klein might be the best athlete in the group and has to learn how to translate that to the field. OVERALL ★★★★ The Loveland hype has reached fever pitch … can he meet it? He gave glimpses of what he could do a year ago, and that was as a true freshman. With his length and speed, he should be a key mismatch this year and one of quarterback J.J. McCarthy's favorite targets. Without a true gamebreaker at wide re- ceiver (it appears), Loveland could have a huge presence. The coaches love the depth here —and this fall will show if they're right. It's clear, though, that there's talent in the room. ❱ The tight end position has long been a staple of the Jim Harbaugh offense at Michigan. Excluding the pandemic-altered 2020 campaign (22 catches, 199 yards, 1 touchdown), Wol- verine tight ends have averaged 57 catches for 719 yards and 5 TDs in full seasons played since 2015. ❱ The addition of Indiana transfer A.J. Barner should pay huge dividends for a group that loses a ton of experience at the top of the depth chart. Luke Schoonmaker (526) and Joel Honig- ford (268) combined to play 794 total snaps last season. U-M addressed the need for game reps by adding the former Hoosier, who played 663 snaps in 2022. This should help stabilize the rotation, while giving others the opportunity to step into larger roles. ❱ Michigan feels like it has a potential matchup advantage at tight end with sophomore Colston Loveland, who lined up in multiple spots during his freshman season and in the spring game. Loveland played 303 of his 421 offensive snaps (72 percent) as an inline tight end, with 85 snaps (20 percent) coming as a slot receiver. U-M deployed him for 21 snaps at wide receiver and another 10 in the backfield. Look for the coaches to continue to explore different ways to get him involved in 2023. [ F Y I ] TIGHT END PRODUCTION UNDER JIM HARBAUGH 2015 – 72 catches, 926 yards, 3 TD 2016 – 59 catches, 667 yards, 6 TD 2017 – 54 catches, 697 yards, 5 TD 2018 – 54 catches, 793 yards, 4 TD 2019 – 41 catches, 542 yards, 7 TD 2020* – 22 catches, 199 yards, 1 TD 2021 – 57 catches, 618 yards, 5 TD 2022 – 62 catches, 790 yards, 5 TD *Only played six games due to the COVID-19 pandemic A.J. Barner, an Indiana transfer and former captain, caught 28 passes for 199 yards and 3 touchdowns for the Hoosiers last year. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL