The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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2024 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ 48 THE WOLVERINE ❱ MARCH 2024 BY ZACH LIBBY Family and friends of 2024 tight end Hogan Hansen describe the Michigan signee as someone who doesn't revel in the spotlight. He doesn't need national attention and doesn't search for it, either. That's why no one close to Hansen was surprised when he dropped an un- expected verbal commitment without warning after his junior season. That's who he is personality-wise. The hoopla that other elite prospects may welcome doesn't factor into Hansen's decision- making. "I'm just stoked," Hansen told The Wol- verine before enrolling at U-M in Janu- ary. "I've been thinking about playing for Michigan ever since I committed. I'm just counting down the days." The Medina, Wash., standout became the first tight end in the 2024 recruiting class and the first prospect in the cycle from the West Coast to pledge to Michi- gan, doing so on Dec. 8, 2022. The commitment occurred after Han- sen visited Ann Arbor twice in 2022, in- cluding a game-day visit, where he saw a convincing win over Penn State at The Big House. "I looked past what you normally see with Michigan football, and I saw a fam- ily, a bunch of people who care about each other," Hansen said. "You look at the de- velopment there, and it speaks for itself. The community environment and how everyone wants to see each other succeed, that's what stood out." Grant Newsome, who was the U-M tight ends coach during Hansen's re- cruiting process, made the effort to get close with the Pacific Northwest play- maker and his family, putting an offer on the table several months before Hansen committed. Following the promotion of Sherrone Moore to head coach, Newsome was moved over to lead the offensive line, and Michigan hired UMass offensive coor- dinator Steve Casula to coach the tight ends. Newsome's relatability was what propelled Hansen to stay committed for over a year and find a home in Ann Arbor. "He is super smart," Hansen said of Newsome. "He's coached me a little bit when I've been out there. Even though I haven't gotten the full experience, I just like the way he goes about practices, how technical he is. When he breaks down film, he goes over every single part in an easy way." Hansen joins a tight end room that in- cludes first-team All-Big Ten performer Colston Loveland and fellow 2024 early enrollee Brady Prieskorn. Hansen got significant reps as an in- line blocker for Bellevue High in a Wing- T offense. The versatility he showed throughout his high school career, which ended with a second Washington 3A title in three years, was a big factor in Michigan showing heavy interest. "I love blocking," Hansen said. "Watch- ing Colston and AJ [Barner] set the edge on outside zones this year, I can see my- self in their position and doing well in stuff like that. I think I'm a really physical player, and I can help in that way. I'll come in ready to do my best to compete. I'm ex- cited to get in that offense. It's an offense built perfectly for my game." ❑ Four-Star Tight End Hogan Hansen Heads East For Michigan Hansen, a first-team all-state tight end, was part of two Bellevue (Wash.) High's state 3A championship teams in 2021 and 2023. He earned Defensive MVP honors in the title game as a senior. PHOTO BY ZACH LIBBY STATISTICS Year Rec. Yds. TD Rush Yds. TD 2023 11 224 4 8 121 2 Year Tackles TFL Sacks FF FR 2023 44 11 6 2 2 HONORS • Led the Bellevue Wolverines to 3A state tles in 2021 and 2023; named Defensive MVP in the championship game as a senior. • Named to SBLive's first-team all-classifica on, all-state team at ght end. • 2023 King County 3A Defensive MVP. • Member of The Tacoma News Tribune's 2024 class of Northwest Nuggets all-region team. • First-team all-league honors in 2022-23. • Named to 2024 Polynesian Bowl. RECRUITMENT • Pledged to Michigan on Dec. 8, 2022, a er receiving offer in April 2022. • Picked U-M over notable offers from Washing- ton, Oregon and Stanford. • Recruited by offensive line coach Grant New- some (formerly ght ends coach). DID YOU KNOW? • Hansen is an early enrollee. • Teammates called him "AO" — always open. • Helped lead the basketball team to a 25-5 re- cord and the county championship as a junior. • Son of Dinny and Tamara Hansen. • Father played football at Stanford. • Born on June 17, 2005. THEY SAID IT On3 director of scou ng and rankings Charles Power: "Hansen played in a run-heavy offense. It's like a veer offense, so he's comfort- able as a blocker and pu ng his hand in the dirt. But he has the athle cism to be used in a tradi onal ght end role. He fits the way Michi- gan uses the ght ends. He's not a guy who'll have that big of an adjustment in terms of Michigan's pro-style scheme. Pre y well-round- ed. Has experience receiving and blocking, so he comes with versa lity." HOGAN HANSEN TIGHT END 6-5 • 220 BELLEVUE HIGH MEDINA, WASH. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 327 22 5 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 34 7 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 17 4 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 286 17 4 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 29 5 INDUSTRY 2024 Projection As an early enrollee, Hansen will be able to build chemistry with U-M's new ght ends coach Steve Casula this spring. Tight end is a deep posi on group for Michigan with All-Big Ten pick Colston Loveland at the helm. How well Hansen develops physically and how he per- forms blocking against college-level pass rushers will determine his posi oning on the depth chart for 2024. He could poten ally earn playing me as a freshman in two- ght end sets.