Michigan tight end Erick All is 'still moving really, really well' after big weight gain

Michigan Wolverines football senior tight end Erick All is a much different player and person now than he was when he entered the program as a freshman in 2019. All was always a violent player — showing plenty of signs of that his first year — but his strength and conditioning and football knowledge needed to improve.

There were times early in his career where All would make a great block, but on the wrong player. He also led the team with four drops on 27 targets in 2020, per Pro Football Focus. He’s admitted to some of those struggles in the past, especially the ones regarding his learning curve with the playbook.

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In 2021, though, All busted onto the scene and became a primetime player for Michigan. He was second on the team with 38 receptions and racked up 437 receiving yards with two touchdowns. He also graded out as Michigan’s second-best run blocker (76.5) behind center Andrew Vastardis (79.2) among those who saw 100-plus such snaps, per PFF.

Now, All is on the Mackey Award watch list with the potential to win the trophy for the nation’s top tight end and garnering plenty of buzz ahead of Michigan’s 2022 campaign.

Those past experiences — learning, growing and thriving — have made him the player and leader he is now.

“He’s still got that enjoyment and freshness for the game — he’s got that enthusiasm that sometimes you only see with really, really young guys, where every day it’s like it’s his first time out there,” Michigan tight ends coach Grant Newsome said. “He wants to do everything — he wants to catch every ball, make every block. But at the same time, he’s matured so much. Just the way he’s taken on a leadership role, not only in the tight end room with [freshmen] Marlin [Klein] and Colston [Loveland] but also with the whole team — it’s been awesome to see.”

All is now at 255 pounds — 10 more than last season and 26 more than his freshman-year listing of 229 pounds. He’s got the bulk to play at a high level in the blocking game, but Newsome said he hasn’t lost his agility.

“He’s still plenty athletic,” the Michigan assistant explained. “He’s still moving really, really well, so I think it’s only going to help him. Some of the in-line blocking, he’s trying to have a little more weight, but it’s clear that he just looks bigger.

“He’s still really, really cut. You wouldn’t know that he put on weight without looking at the scale. When he told me how much he was weighing the other day, I couldn’t believe him; I made him go on the scale to verify it. But he looks great. [Head strength and conditioning] Coach [Ben] Herb[ert] and his staff have done an amazing job, just developing all of those guys, but especially Erick. He looks great, as does Schoony [graduate tight end Luke Schoonmaker].

“When he got here, he was probably 220 pounds. So to now be 252 or 257 — whatever he is right now — and still be fast, still have all that athleticism … he’s probably even gotten faster than he was when he got here.”

Michigan’s 1-2 punch at tight end

All is one of two Michigan tight ends on the Mackey Award preseason watch list, with Schoonmaker being the other. Head coach Jim Harbaugh said at Big Ten Media Days that those two will compete for the title as the nation’s top player at the position, and Newsome said he agrees.

“I see it the exact same way,” he said. “I think they have every ability and every license to go make it one and two. And obviously, outside of our team goals and our offensive goals, that’s definitely our goal as a unit, is that those two are battling to be the Mackey Award winner.”

Schoonmaker hauled in 17 passes for 165 yards and tied for the team’s lead with three touchdown receptions in 2021.

The two are similar in that they both are trusted to block and catch, but they have similar styles.

“We’re both physical and we’re both fast,” All said at Big Ten Media Days. “I feel like Schoony gets the run game better. He gets it better. He gets the technique and stuff better. He does that in the run game, and I feel like in the pass game I’m more natural to it.

“But Schoony is a beast — he’s big, strong, fast, really fast. I feel like that’s one of the more under-appreciated things about him — people don’t realize how fast Schoony is. I definitely more work in the run game, and he needs just a little more work in the pass game, but he’s a beast and he’s definitely on the same level as I am.”

When asked, Newsome said he believes All is “probably quicker,” and Schoonmaker “might be a little faster in the top end.”

“But I’m curious to know,” Newsome added. “I’ll be curious at the combine as to what they both run. I bet it’ll be really close.”