Michigan football: Max Bredeson discusses his love for blocking, earning scholarship, loaded TE room, team leaders

Michigan Wolverines football junior Max Bredeson is listed as a tight end on the team’s roster, but he also plays the role of the Wolverines’ de facto fullback. Of the 6-2, 240-pounder’s 233 offensive snaps in 2022, 170 came on run downs. He was targeted as a receiver just 6 times, with 5 receptions, and received 1 carry. Those facts could be frustrating for somebody who played just 61 less offensive snaps than senior wide receiver Roman Wilson, who had five times as many catches, but not for Bredeson, who loves his role.

“I’ve been happy with doing all the backfield blocking stuff, all the fullback stuff,” Bredeson said. “That’s what I love doing and something I take pride in. It’s something I want to keep working on.”

He’s worked on becoming more of a complete player during fall camp and has made some nice grabs, too. One of his defining traits, he said, is his versatility.

“I love catching passes — I’ve had some good catches — but I really take pride in my blocking,” Bredeson explained. “I’ve had some good blocks. I’ve been taking a lot of pride in my blocking, but I’ve had some good catches, had a good wheel route [during camp].

“When you picture a fullback, you kind of just picture a guard in the backfield, but I take pride in that I can block well. I put on good weight — I’m heavier than I was last year — but I can also run routes at a tight end level. Versatility is what I pride myself in.”

Bredeson, the younger brother of former Michigan All-Big Ten offensive lineman Ben Bredeson, has proven to be valuable enough to earn a scholarship. He found out he’d be put on scholarship during his postseason meeting with head coach Jim Harbaugh, who informed him in private.

“That’s one I was working for, for a long time — a pretty special moment,” Bredeson said. “It’s hard to put into words, but it was one of the bigger achievements of my life.”

Michigan’s loaded tight end room, led by sophomore Colston Loveland

Michigan has two players on the preseason watch list for the Mackey Award, handed out annually to the nation’s top tight end, in senior AJ Barner and sophomore Colston Loveland. Bredeson will also have a role, as should senior Matthew Hibner and sophomore Marlin Klein. In short, there’s a lot of depth.

“A lot of different skill sets in the room,” Bredeson assessed. “We all just push each other to be better. Everyone does something very well, and we try to use what we do best to help the team. Everyone is just focusing on what we can do to make Michigan better.”

Loveland, especially, has generated a lot of buzz after his freshman season in which he scored 2 touchdowns — 1 against Ohio State and the other the next week versus Purdue in the Big Ten championship game. Multiple teammates and coaches have said he could go down as one of the best tight ends in Michigan history.

“What distinguishes him, the guy catches anything,” Bredeson said. “If you put it near him, he’s going to come down with it. He can get open. He kind of sneaks around defenders. He’s running a route, and then all of the sudden he’s behind them. How did he get there? 

“It’s crazy to see 6-6 just randomly get behind the defender. He’s really good with his hands, getting defenders off of him. He’s a special route-runner.”

Michigan’s strong leadership

The Wolverines will be without Harbaugh for the first three games, with the head coach set to serve a three-game, school-imposed suspension. The team, Bredeson said, will be just fine and won’t let the distraction be a hindrance. Besides the suspension, too, he noted that Michigan’s leadership is extremely strong.

“I’d say there are a lot of really good leaders on this team, and we kind of just follow behind their type of leadership. What really stood out to me is [senior running back] Blake [Corum], a pretty quiet leader, but when he does something, you follow it. When he says something, you go with what he says. [graduate defensive back] Mike [Sainristil] [is] always ready to say something when it needs to be said. Just leaders that know what we have to achieve and keep you grounded on getting better every day, rather than looking ahead.”

From an offensive standpoint, Corum is unsurprisingly looked at as one of Michigan’s best leaders.

“There are just a lot of little things,” Bredeson said of Corum’s leadership. “It could just be a little, offense is down, ‘Come on guys,’ and you follow what he says. He told a story about his dog. He has these huge dogs, and one of their names is Savage. He’s like, ‘You gotta be like this dog,’ a big dog. He told a really good story about it. But when he talks, you listen.”

The same goes for junior quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who’s entering his second year as Michigan’s starter after earning third-team All-Big Ten honors in 2022.

“A lot of really good stuff,” Bredeson said of what he’s seen from McCarthy this fall camp. “It’s really just taking control. He’s a guy that you just want to follow into battle — I don’t know how to explain it. When he’s in the huddle, you just feel confident in him, you feel like someone is going to make a play.

“It’s funny, actually, I was a quarterback in high school, and we actually threw together [with trainer Greg Holcomb], and you could feel it back then, too, [that] he’s a natural leader, born guy to take hold of a team.”