The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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T I G H T E N D S 68 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2024 FOOTBALL PREVIEW POSITION COACH Steve Casula is entering his first season as Michigan's tight ends coach, following two years of coordinating UMass' offense under head coach Don Brown, U-M's for- mer defensive coordinator (2016-20). Casula was an offensive analyst at U-M from 2019-21. Massachusetts ranked 88th nationally in total offense and tied for 96th in scoring offense last season, improvements from its 129th and 131st placements in 2022. Casula worked with All-Independent Wide Receiver of the Year Anthony Simpson and run- ning back Kay'Ron Adams, who ranked in the top 30 in the FBS in both yards (1,157) and touchdowns (12) on 236 carries. The 36-year-old has spent 11 years coaching in the state of Michigan, also making stops at Western Michigan (graduate assistant, 2010-11; tight ends/fullbacks, 20122), Davenport (2014- 16) and Ferris State (2017-18), serving as of- fensive coordinator at the latter two programs. Michigan featured very strong tight ends in its national championship season. Given what the head coach called Michigan's best-ever college quarterback and a host of other talented skill-position players, it might have been easier to overlook the lanky blockers/pass catchers. It's impossible this year, Michigan football radio analyst Jon Jansen insisted. The tight ends should be front and center when it comes to the Wolverines getting things done. "Oh my gosh, yeah," Jansen said, when asked about this position group as a strength. "It's the ultimate depth posi- tion. You've got probably the best tight end in the country in [junior] Colston Loveland, then we saw guys we knew were going to be coming along this spring. [Sophomore] Deakon Tonielli is going to be good. Down the road, [freshman] Brady Prieskorn is a guy like that, and [freshman] Hogan Hansen. "One of the things I learned about [junior] Marlin Klein is, he's one of the fastest guys on the team. To be able to use that speed at that position, to create a matchup mismatch, is going to be amazing. And [senior] Max Bredeson — each one of those guys has a little bit different skill set. Max is probably the one who is set apart a bit from the tight ends, because they use him so much as a fullback. We even saw that on the fourth-and-2 conversion in the spring game." Michigan's pass-catching situation remains a focus going into the summer. Gone are veterans Cornelius Johnson and Roman Wilson, and the present roster doesn't feature any lanky front-liners at the wideout spot. That could put the tight ends in the pass-catching spotlight, including Loveland, whom Jansen noted could lead the Wolverines in receiving. "He certainly could," Jansen said. "If you're having some protection issues, or you're trying to build confidence, you want the ball in and out of the hands of the quarterback. Sometimes the best option is the biggest option, and he might be the most talented option. You can get the ball to him quickly, he's taller than all the linebackers are going to be, he can outrun most of them, and he's got a great awareness and a feel. "Some tight ends, they just run around, and if they're open, great. If not, there's nothing there. One of the things Colston does a great job of is feeling out the defense. There's an art form to getting open. There's a feel he has of where a linebacker is, and how to run a route off of him. The same with a nickel or a safety. He just has the innate feel that you can't coach, you can't teach — guys have it or they don't — on how to get open." Bredeson gives terrific versatility, Jansen pointed out. "They can line him up in line, in the backfield, they can put him in motion," he explained. "He is by far the best blocker. That's where I want to see Colston take a step forward. I saw it in practice. Now I need to see it during the game, when he's at the edge of the line of scrimmage. Can he set an edge? Can he give a tackle enough help to be able to put a block on him and go up to the second level? "I think he's going to be a first-rounder. Of course it's about catching the ball, but if he can be a guy you can count on to block, you're talking about another [Georgia tight end and Las Vegas Raiders first-round pick] Brock Bowers." The underclassmen all go 6-5 or better, and they are definitely ones to watch, Jansen stressed. "They're kind of cookie-cutter guys," he said. "It's size. You look at Colston Love- land, and he's the epitome of that, but most linebackers probably go what, 6-1 or 6-2? And you're running out at 6-4, 6-5, 6-6, and you can run like these guys can? You've got the option No. 1 being Colston? If you put three tight ends in the game, how does a defense match up with them? You outsize everyone. "With their ability to run, that's what I'm really curious to see, how [offensive coordinator Kirk] Campbell and Sherrone [Moore] play with all the toys? You might not have a big target at receiver, but you've got guys that are really fast, re- ally quick, can get down the field, can run reverses. You've got a dominant group of tight ends." — John Borton STARTER ★★★★★ ★★★★★ The John Mackey Award isn't out of junior tight end Colston Loveland's reach, just like most of the throws that come his way. Analysts regard Loveland as one of the top tight ends in the nation for 2024, and him becoming the top tight end might be as much a result of Michigan's quarterback and passing attack plan as it is Loveland's innate abilities. On a team with limited lanky wide receiving targets, Loveland should be a major option, any time a Michigan QB wants someone to go up and get the ball. Of course, Loveland will be wearing a target on his back in the eyes of opposing defenses, but his ability to maneuver and get free will go a long way toward making him not only Michigan's primary pass catcher, but one of the best in the nation. He'll need help getting there, with Michigan's other tight ends and receivers drawing defensive attention of their own, and U-M quarterbacks being able to make the throws necessary. But Loveland is as close to a surefire checked box as it gets with the Michigan offense. DEPTH ★★★★ ★★★★ ½ Loveland isn't a one-man show, either. Senior Max Bredeson stands as a blocking machine, and junior Mar- tin Klein could enjoy a breakout season as one of the faster players on the field. The Wolverines also feature a crew of younger performers getting groomed to be the next wave of Michigan's top tight ends. This pipeline is full, to the point that multiple tight ends on the field this season won't be any surprise. OVERALL ★★★★★ ★★★★★ Coming out of spring football, this crew stands arguably as the best position group on the Michigan offense. It features star power, well-rounded blocking abilities, a speed option, depth, and a drive to take advantage of a wide-open opportunity. For some teams, multiple tight ends on the field would simply mean short-yardage slugfests. For these tight ends, it might mark a matchup nightmare. The creativity of offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell in this regard will represent yet another intriguing aspect of the Michigan attack this season. PRESEASON ANALYSIS Jansen Says Tight Ends Are The Strength Of The Offense Senior tight end Max Bredeson was se- lected as U-M's Most Improved Player (Offense) a year ago. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY