The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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AUGUST 2024 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 43 ❱ COMMIT PROFILE BY EJ HOLLAND M ichigan made Center Valley (Pa.) Southern Lehigh top-100 tight end Andrew Olesh its top overall prior- ity at the position and closed with his commitment in early July. Olesh, the No. 3 tight end and No. 67 overall recruit nationally, per On3, picked Michigan over fellow finalists Alabama, Florida and Penn State. "One of the main reasons why I chose Michigan is because of Coach [Steve] Casula, who is a great coach, Coach [Sherrone] Moore and Coach Kirk Campbell, the offensive coordinator," Olesh said. "They're all great guys I've built relationships with. The path to playing time at Michigan caught my at- tention as well. "I like the environment there and be- ing around the players. Going into my official visits, I wanted to be around the players and experience a school's environment. Talking to all the guys at Michigan got me more into Michigan." Olesh was considered a Penn State lean for the majority of the recruiting cycle. However, Michigan gained some steam going into his official visit and was able to win out a couple of weeks later despite plenty of pressure for him to stay closer to home. Olesh had a blast on campus in Ann Arbor and enjoyed getting an in-depth look at the program. "Overall, the visit was a great experi- ence for me and my family," Olesh said. "My favorite part of the trip was inter- acting with the tight ends and getting to know more about the program. I en- joyed speaking with Colston Loveland, Marlin Klein and Max Bredeson." As Olesh mentioned, new head coach Moore took on a personal role in his re- cruitment and was a big reason the Wol- verines were able to seal the deal. "He is one of the very few coaches who would text me every single day," Olesh said. "He'd call me to check in. He's not only about football, but he's also a guy who I can connect with on a family level. He's almost like a family member to me. We get along. Him call- ing me and texting me a lot was impor- tant. When I was there in the spring, I saw him coach up the players really well. I like the way he does it. "I think he can carry the torch. I think he can keep going because last year, he had to step in and he got the job done." Casula took a unique approach to Olesh's recruitment by making him the only tight end target on the board for Michigan. While it was a risk to put all his eggs in the Olesh basket, the deci- sion definitely paid off. Olesh felt like a top priority at Mich- igan and connected with Casula on a personal level. "Coach Casula isn't just a football guy," Olesh said. "He's always contact- ing me and asking me how my family is doing. He's a family guy. We can con- nect on levels above football. But obvi- ously, he's a great football coach and knows what he's doing." Michigan is obviously a destination school for elite tight end recruits. The Wolverines have produced a ton of tal- ent at the position in recent years and utilize their tight ends as well as any college football team in the country. Fit and development were two other big factors in Olesh's decision to side with the Wolverines. "They said I could be the next Colston Loveland," Olesh said. "Obviously, he's a big-time dude and will probably be a first-round draft pick. They compared me to him and told me I could fit into their offense well. They threw the ball a lot during the spring game. I think they said the tight ends got the ball 14 times, which is by far the most I've seen from any spring game. "They just had a guy [AJ Barner] taken in the fourth round. They are shooting guys to the draft. Colston is obviously coming up. ... Their production has been very good the past couple of years. It fits me." ❑ Pennsylvania Star Andrew Olesh Looks To Add To 'Tight End U' Tradition Olesh, the No. 3 tight end and No. 67 overall recruit nationally, per On3, picked Michigan over fel- low finalists Alabama, Florida and Penn State. PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND PLAYER EVALUATION STRENGTHS: Andrew Olesh is a tall, ath- letic, pass-catching tight end at 6-foot-5, 215 pounds. He spends the majority of his time split out wide. As a de facto receiver, he is one of the most dangerous playmakers in the country, using his rare combination of size and speed to his advantage. He is very fluid as a route runner and shows impressive flexibility in and out of breaks. AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT: Olesh is on the skinny side and will need to add weight and strength at Michigan. While he may be the best receiving tight end prospect in the coun- try, he has almost no experience playing in- line. He will have to adapt to running routes from the in-line spot. More importantly, he will have to get comfortable as a run blocker. MICHIGAN PLAYER COMPARISON: Olesh shares a lot of similarities with Michigan soph- omore tight end Deakon Tonielli. While not as fast or highly touted as Olesh, Tonielli was a fantastic receiving tight end who spent the majority of his time split out wide and had limited in-line experience. Tonielli was a jump- ball master as a prospect and did well as more of a de facto wide receiver — much like Olesh. — EJ Holland