18 days until Michigan football: Colston Loveland is a star in the making
There’s much anticipation heading into the Michigan Wolverines football season, and TheWolverine.com is counting down the days until the Sept. 2 opener against East Carolina. We’ll discuss current Michigan events, the upcoming season and/or take a look at a significant number that correlates with how many days remain until kickoff, whether it be a player’s jersey number, a year, a date, a score, etc.
Michigan sophomore tight end Colston Loveland has a lot of growing to do, but has positioned himself as one of the more talented players at his position of the Jim Harbaugh era. And in a season where the Wolverines are seeking balance offensively and need playmakers to step up, he has a chance to be a major solution.
Michigan never planned to play him as much as it did during the 2022 season, but injuries at the position accelerated his role and development. Now, he comes into the 2023 campaign as the potential No. 1 tight end in the offense.
During the spring game, we saw a more physically developed player that was being used as a chess piece on offense. Loveland can play in-line or flexed out wide and has the tools to be a matchup nightmare. Michigan needs improvement from him as a blocker, and he could be facing a target share scenario with Barner, but those in the building think he has the tools to be one of the greats.
“[His potential] is higher than anybody I’ve seen here before in my days of being at Michigan, watching it prior, too,” former teammate Joel Honigford said. “I think he has the potential to be one of the greatest that’s gone through here just as far as whether it’s his skill on the field, his mentality — a multitude of things. He is that guy when it comes down to it. And it didn’t take us long to figure that out. And I don’t think it took the public that long to figure it out too once he started playing in games. But he’s an exceptional player and an even better person.
“He is a hard-nosed kid who doesn’t get too emotionally involved in things. So say he does make no mistake, he’s gonna bounce right back. It’s not gonna affect his gameplay. That was probably the most impressive thing that I noticed this year for a freshman to have that kind of a mentality — is it gives you a step ahead for sure.”
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Jake Butt is the gold standard at the position in recent memory, and even he sees a path for Loveland to supplant him as Harbaugh’s best tight end.
“I’ve shared this with him — I don’t see why he can’t be one of, if not the best tight end [from Michigan] when it’s all said and done here,” Butt said on the In The Trenches podcas BHe’s got the system in place, got the relationship with J.J. McCarthy. He’s proven himself on the field. The only reason he might not do that is he might leave after his junior year. He’s that talented.
“I’m excited to see him take a huge leap forward this fall.”
Michigan football countdown to kickoff
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