ANN ARBOR, Mich. — He should have known how pivotal he might be when he reeled in a big catch in the spring game as an early enrollee earlier in the year. Yet, nothing could have fully prepared Colston Loveland for his current role with Michigan football.
With Erick All having only played in one game due to injury (before eventually transferring) and Luke Schoonmaker going down late in the season with an injury of his own, the Gooding, Idaho four-star tight end has become something of a focal point in the Wolverine offense in recent weeks, reeling in his first two touchdown catches in the two biggest games of the season: at Ohio State and in the Big Ten Championship game. If you would have told Loveland when he arrived in Ann Arbor just under a year ago, he wouldn’t have believed that such would be the case.
“Honestly, no, I didn’t just because I didn’t think I was gonna be able to but I’m super blessed I got put in that position to be able to make those plays,” Loveland said.
Why has he been able to emerge when the team’s needed him most? He credits his coaches, his teammates as well as his family for the mixture of pushing him while keeping him grounded.
“Just being surrounded by, being in this building surrounded by such great people that pushed me every day,” Loveland said. “Couldn’t be more blessed. And with a family back home, they’re always keeping me level-headed and getting me right. And then, some spots opened up and able to play a little ball.”
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Erick All was a good mixture between being a pass-catcher and a blocker, while Luke Schoonmaker has grown into being both just this past season. Loveland admits he’s still learning the blocking element, but his ability to catch the ball was never in doubt.
“That’s all I did in high school,” Loveland said. “So it was kind of just like throw it up and whatever — one-verse-three or whatever. So pretty comfortable going up and getting the ball.”
Even still, he’s able to take a step back and see just how far he’s come from when he first arrived until now. But he’s not at all content with where he’s at, because he knows there’s a lot more that can be added to his game between now and when he departs the program in two-to-three years.
“The growth just from day one to now, it’s insane,” Loveland said. “I’ve grew so much and think — it’s really the older guys in the tight end room, really, and Coach Newsome, obviously. Every day, they’re showing me new things, just more stuff. And I don’t even know all that right now, you know what I’m saying? I’ve got so much more to learn. So being where am I right now and having more to learn is amazing.”
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