The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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62 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2024 FOOTBALL PREVIEW BY JOHN BORTON C olston Loveland faces the double whammy of expectations this com- ing fall. How does your team follow up a 15-0 national championship season, and individually, how do you live up to projections that you'll be the top tight end in the nation? Those are first-world problems, of course, in the world of college football. Michigan can't improve on 15-0, and only the most blue-goggled followers could expect the Wolverines to match it. For Loveland himself, it's a balancing act. Enjoy the praise, but then go out and act on it. That's what the 6-foot-5 junior tight end noted on Michigan's "In The Trenches" podcast this spring. "It's just a blessing," Loveland said of the attention he's getting. "That's the first thing that comes to mind when I see all that stuff. It's everything I've always wanted and been working for, and every- thing my family has wanted for me, and my teammates. It's just a blessing and super special." Then comes the warning. Expectations are nothing. Results are everything. "It's cool to see, but I still have to go out there and do it," Loveland stressed. "It doesn't mean a whole lot until I do it. But it's such a great honor to have that." The high praise for the third-year Wolverine certainly doesn't appear un- founded. Loveland finished second on the team in receiving yards (649) and touchdown catches (4 ) i n M i c h i ga n 's p e r f e c t s t o r m against all opposi- tion in 2023. His 45 catches placed him third on the team, a mere three grabs away from the team lead. H e b e c a m e a first-team All-Big Te n p e r fo r m e r i n the eyes of conference coaches, second team by the media. On five separate occasions, he earned Michi- gan's Offensive Player of the Week hon- ors, and when the biggest showdowns came around, Loveland showed up. He led the Wolverines with 5 catches for 88 yards in the regular-season- ending win over Ohio State. With everything on the line in the national championship game, Loveland again paced Michigan in receiving yardage (64) in the Wolverines' victory against Washington. Not bad for a player from the state of Idaho, more known for its spuds than its football studs. The praise he's garnering doesn't just come from national media, either. When it emanates from Schembechler Hall, it resonates a bit more strongly. Michigan tight ends coach Steve Casula insists Loveland stood above every other tight Pro Football Focus rated Loveland as the fourth most-valuable tight end in the country last season and ranks him as the No. 1 tight end nationally for 2024. PHOTO BY DOMINICK SOKOTOFF Rising To The Top Colston Loveland Could Be The Nation's Best Tight End