Steve Casula: 'I wouldn't be surprised' if Colston Loveland led Michigan in receiving

Michigan Wolverines football offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell will rely heavily on his tight ends this fall, a group that includes junior Colston Loveland, who’s a preseason All-American per multiple publications and on the Mackey Award watch list.

Campbell is entering his first season as Michigan’s offensive play-caller, a role formerly held by new head coach Sherrone Moore, but he’s called plays in the past, having served as offensive coordinator at Old Dominion from 2020-21. In his second season there, the Monarchs had a tight end, Zack Kuntz, who notched 73 catches for 692 yards, ranking second on the team in both categories and tying for first with 5 touchdown grabs.

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Michigan tight ends coach Steve Casula was asked Sunday if he’d be caught off guard if Loveland ends up leading Michigan in receiving. If Loveland does top Michigan in receiving yards, it’d be the first time a Wolverine tight end would do so this century.

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Casula said. “You look at Coach Campbell’s background and track record, in 2021 they had a tight end with over 70 receptions. He’s been exposed to getting the tight end the ball.

“Cole, we’re able to ask to do a lot of different things, both in the run and pass game. We have a saying in the tight end room, ‘The ball finds talent, technique and energy,’ and Cole’s got all three.

“I think that could certainly happen. Cole’s been exceptional. He’s exceptional in his desire to get better. If you look at KC’s track record, he’s more than willing to keep throwing the ball to the tight end, for sure.”

Loveland, a native of Gooding, Idaho, ranked second on the team with 649 receiving yards and 4 touchdown grabs on 45 receptions (third) last season. His 649 receiving yards were the most by a Michigan tight end in a season since All-American Jake Butt in 2015 (654).

Michigan lost its two starting receivers from last season — Cornelius Johnson and Roman Wilson, both of whom were drafted to the NFL this spring — and the Wolverines are relatively unproven at the wideout spot. That could lead to defenses keying on Loveland, something Michigan is prepared for.

“There are a lot of layers to that,” Casula said. “There’s every week, everyday base stuff in the offense where you have a pretty good sense of where the ball’s going to go or who it’s designed for. I think that’s something that will always be a big portion of who we are.

“When it comes to getting ready for a game, so much of what we do throwing and running the ball may be easy to us but difficult for a defense — the way we formation and motion plays. So always being thoughtful about making sure your best players are a part of touching the football. 

“And then people have asked that question and we’ve talked about that topic … we’ve got a lot of other really good players, too. And Cole deserves recognition and all those things, but our wide receiver position and additional players at tight end and guys out of the backfield are really darn good, too.

“[Sophomore] Semaj Morgan and [junior] Tyler Morris are really good football players, too. But that’s something you have to understand, that people are certainly going to key No. 18, for sure. That’s something we’re aware of, and all of us at some point in our career have dealt with. Certainly something we’re ready to take on and control week to week.”

In an appearance on The Wolverine Podcast before fall camp, Morgan said Loveland “looks like me” when he’s running routes and with the ball. While Loveland is 6-foot-5, 245 pounds, his speed is one of his top traits.

“Cole has moved around great,” Casula said. “I don’t know if he went and ran a 40-yard dash or 100-meter dash, what the time would be, but when the ball’s snapped, he’s got such great functional movement skills; he wastes no movement.

“He is so thoughtful about his plan of attack in the run and pass game. But he just does things … when you have a plan before the ball’s snapped, when you have a high level of understanding of football and the system, you’re able to do things a little bit faster.

“Yeah, he’s playing faster than what I was exposed to in the spring. That starts with him, it starts with just who we are as an offense. But, yeah, he’s playing fast right now. I don’t know how fast he is in terms of a measurement, but when the ball is snapped, he damn sure looks fast. He’s playing really fast, he’s playing really well.”