Final 2024 Michigan football preseason position analysis: Tight End

Primer

Michigan football has the best tight end in the country in Colston Loveland but the question is who will also play big factors this season at the position. Max Bredeson will play multiple roles within the room, from traditional TE to fullback to H-back. Marlin Klein may be the more traditional tight end who will line up often opposite Loveland, but others will work into the mix.

Projected starters: Colston Loveland, Max Bredeson

Rotation: Marlin Klein, Deakon Tonielli, Zack Marshall, Jalen Hoffman (FB)

Position outlook

Considering all of the hype surrounding Loveland this offseason, he very well could see frequent double teams. He’ll also split out wide and act as a jumbo receiver. Bredeson will most likely be deployed as a fullback more often than not. We’ll see a lot of Klein in-line, especially when Loveland is split out wide. He’s been mentioned as the fastest player in the room and has a lot of potential. Then the question rests on the usage of the sophomores in Tonielli and Marshall — both of whom have been praised during the offseason.

But there are also two freshmen who enrolled early in Brady Prieskorn and Hogan Hansen. Could either do similar to Loveland and find themselves seeing early playing time? The room is loaded, thus getting onto the field will be difficult. But there are a lot of playmakers.

At fullback and H-back, if it’s not Bredeson, walk-on Jalen Hoffman figures to be the player ready to go in rotation.