Michigan football TE Colston Loveland makes NFL draft decision

As expected. #GoBlue

It was a good year but also a tough one for junior Michigan football tight end Colston Loveland.

Thought to be the best tight end in the country entering the 2024 season, with the Wolverines having an anemic passing game coming into the year, Loveland wasn’t just an option, he was the option. Mix that with Loveland having some injury issues both early and late in the year, that meant that he didn’t quite reach his full potential showing that he may have otherwise.

Loveland was absent in two of Michigan’s biggest games of the season, missing the entirety of both the USC game in Week 4 and the Ohio State game in Week 14. It turns out his final play — a touchdown just before halftime in the Week 13 game against Northwestern — was his final snap in a Michigan uniform, as Loveland declared for the NFL draft on Friday.

Loveland led Michigan with 56 pass receptions for 582 yards and five touchdowns — more than double any other receiver in every category.

With Loveland gone, the Wolverines will likely turn to freshman Hogan Hansen, who showed some similar attributes as Loveland had in his first year with the program.

Loveland joins defensive tackle Mason Graham and cornerback Will Johnson in having departed for the NFL draft following their junior season. He will likely be a first-round NFL draft pick in 2025.