Max Bredeson embraces tone-setting 'Smash' mentality in Ann Arbor
The Michigan Wolverines are most known for their physicality and precision, defining traits that led to a run of three straight Big Ten titles and a national championship this past season.
Tight end Max Bredeson, who essentially serves as the team’s fullback and a Swiss Army knife, was one of the key tone-setters in that regard last year, and figures to be once again in 2024. He will be tasked with doing the dirty work that allows Donovan Edwards, Kalel Mullings and company to thrive.
“Whatever Michigan needs me to do to help win,” Bredeson said Monday about his projected role this season. “I love doing the fullback stuff. It’s what I see myself as. It’s really what I picture myself as in a role, using it more and more as we have with the offense, whatever facet we use it in, I’m always there to do it. So whatever they say, I’ll do it.”
A transition is taking place from Jim Harbaugh to Sherrone Moore with the Michigan football program, but the mentality more or less stays the same. Moore’s “Smash” mantra remains intact, and Bredeson does not take his role in helping instill that lightly.
“It’s electric. It’s awesome,” Bredeson said with a smile. “We love doing it every day at practice. It’s physical practices, especially with the position, especially with what I do. I love being the stereotypical fullback with a lot of the violent downhill plays that we go with. And I also love doing the outside perimeter blocking stuff. The ‘smash’ personality is a real thing and something I love doing, and this whole team revolves around.”
Michigan’s practices have remained physical under Moore with the famed “Beat Ohio” drill sticking around, in addition to a “Quest for Atlanta” drill, which references the site of the 2024 National Championship Game.
“Michigan is always ‘iron sharpens iron’,” Bredeson said. “Good guys go against good guys. We have the classic ‘Beat Ohio’ drill. That’s the staple of Michigan football. The ‘Quest to Atlanta’ drill, same thing. It’s just physical practices, ones on ones. You’re practicing against guys who could be better than the guys you play during the season and it just helps everyone get better.
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“I’d say it’s still as physical as it’s ever been.”
Bredeson and the Michigan tight ends have a new position coach this year in Steve Casula, who was previously with the program as an analyst. Casula also has a background working with fullbacks, which is music to the
“He’s awesome,” Bredeson said. “Coach recruited me here when he was here in 2021. He’s been awesome so far with the whole room, he just jumped right in. He’s helped me a lot, especially because he’s coached fullbacks before. So that was nice to have someone with a background on that and it’s been great so far. A lot of new information is being shared to help us all be as good as we can.”
The physicality is the same, but what about Michigan’s preparation and operation under Moore? As far as Bredeson has concerned, it has been as smooth a transition as possible.
“There’s a lot of similarities,” he said. “It feels like the same. It feels like the same Michigan as when I first got here. It’s a different personality and different coach, but similar to where it has been.
“He is having his little tweaks wherever he finds. But it’s been awesome. All good things come out of it. It feels just about the same. Randomly, we’ll do a player choice period where [Moore let’s players] pick a period.”
