Tag: Colston Loveland

Colts take top TE Colston Loveland in 2025 NFL mock draft

In an early look ahead to the 2025 NFL draft, one mock draft has the Colts taking top tight end Colston Loveland from Michigan.

The mock draft machine never stops, and in a recent mock from Pro Football Network’s Oliver Hodgkinson, he has the Indianapolis Colts selecting Michigan tight end Colston Loveland at 13th overall.

At 6-5 – 246 pounds with excellent athleticism, Loveland would add another pass-catching threat to the Colts’ offense via the tight end position.

Last season, during Michigan’s National Championship run, Loveland caught 45 of his 62 targets at 14.4 yards per catch with four touchdowns. He played almost half of his snaps from the slot, and 19 percent came lined up on the boundary.

Loveland’s 649 receiving yards were the fifth-most among tight ends in 2023, along with ranking fourth in average yards per catch and third in yards per route run, an efficiency metric from PFF.

Ian Cummings of Pro Football Network notes that Loveland already has “an extremely impressive route tree” and an “otherworldly blend of explosiveness, short-area agility, fluidity, and bend.” Cummings does add that blocking is an area where he can still improve.

Here is a snippet of what else Cummings had to say in his scouting report:

“Loveland has the ability to be a mismatch generator and impact starter at the TE spot, with uncommon gravity and schematic value as an independent separator.”

Over the years we’ve seen GM Chris Ballard invest into the tight end position through the draft, but he very well may have to do so once again in 2025, whether that be in search of depth, high-end talent, or both.

Mo Alie-Cox is currently entering the final year of his deal, as is Kylen Granson. The opportunity for Jelani Woods to thrive in Shane Steichen’s offense as a pass-catching threat is there, but after missing the 2023 season with injuries, he is still largely unproven.

Not to be forgotten about either, but the draft is about planning ahead, and the 2025 season is also the final year of Woods and Drew Ogletree’s rookie deals.

The Colts will enter the 2024 season with a tight end room made up of a diverse group of skill sets. How this season and free agency unfold will be key in determining how early the Colts draft a tight end next April.

On3 Sports ranks Michigan’s tight end group as second best in the nation

Michigan football tight ends get praise. #GoBlue

The 2024-25 college football season is fast approaching, which means that season predictions are flying around. Early top-25s, Heisman predictions, and position rankings are all being created as the final weeks of Spring tick away.

Of course, Michigan has its name at the forefront of a lot of these lists. The Wolverines are fresh off a national championship, and despite having 13 players drafted, are still stocked to the brim with talent. Among the best players on Michigan’s roster overall is tight end Colston Loveland, who is expected by many to be a first-round pick should he choose to declare for the 2025 NFL draft. He, along with the other players in the room, gives the Wolverines a strong tight end room that On3 Sports deemed second best in the country after only Georgia.

Obviously, this group will live and die with Loveland. In fact, he is probably the best tight end in the nation with Brock Bowers having left for the NFL. Loveland has improved as a blocker over the last two seasons and should continue to improve in that area, but he really sticks out as a receiving option. Loveland is a terrific athlete who understands how to get separation and can make big plays after the catch. Given the lack of depth at receiver for Michigan, there is a chance that he leads the team in both receptions and yards next season.

So who comes after Loveland? There are two other names that I expect to see extended playing time next season. The first is Marlin Klein who has the speed to complement Loveland in the passing game, and the second is Max Bredeson. Bredeson is more of a fullback/blocker, but he has the ability to lineup in a three-point stance and get after it. Michigan is a run-heavy offense, so Bredeson’s versatility and alignment will be crucial for the team’s success next year.

Overall, this is a very balanced unit. There are weapons in the passing game and enough blocking ability to keep Michigan’s offense humming on the ground. The Wolverines may not have gotten the number-one spot, but there’s certainly a chance they finish the season with the best group.

Trio of Michigan football underclassmen getting early 2025 draft attention

Don’t let rivals fool you, #Michigan is still loaded with talent. #GoBlue

Michigan’s 2022 recruiting class might go down as the most talented from the Jim Harbaugh era. Yes, 2021 produced J.J. McCarthy, Donovan Edwards, Junior Colson, and Rod Moore, but the rising juniors are already proving to be special. In fact, a trio of youngsters are already getting hype for the 2025 NFL draft despite their selection day being over a year away.

The first player garnering praise is, of course, Will Johnson. Johnson was a five-star recruit from Grosse Pointe South High School in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. Johnson made a name for himself early in his career with two interceptions in the Big Ten Championship Game as a true freshman. He followed up a promising freshman campaign with a lockdown sophomore season that has draft analysts and NFL scouts alike drooling. The Wolverines have historically produced a ton of great cornerback talents, but Johnson is right up there with any name. After all, wearing the number two at Michigan is no small claim to fame. Now, will Johnson compete for the Heisman as Woodson did? Likely not, but that does not mean he won’t be a top-five selection in one year.

Next up is one of the most menacing defensive tackles in all of college football — Mason Graham. Graham came to Michigan as a mid-four-star recruit but has outplayed his recruitment grade tremendously. There were concerns about his athleticism and length early in his career, but Graham has dismissed all notions of possible shortcomings with his frequent impact plays. The Wolverines heavily rotated their defensive line in 2023 which limited the statistical impact on any individual player, but Graham still totaled three sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss nonetheless. Checking the tape will also quickly reveal that Graham’s impact was felt much further than the stat sheet. He was simply a menace against Ohio State, Alabama, and Washington, and performed exceptionally well in Big Ten play as well despite nursing an injured hand. The expectation for Graham in 2024 is that he competes for a spot on the All-American team and hears his name called early in the 2025 draft.

The final player is Colston Loveland who comes straight from the football Mecca of Gooding, Idaho. Loveland, like Graham, was a fairly sought-after prospect in high school but by no means was expected to turn into the player he is today. Last season, Loveland turned in 45 catches for 649 yards while steadily improving as a blocker throughout the season. Should he continue to progress in the run game, Loveland will no doubt be considered a first-round pick. PFF analyst Max Chadwick already has Loveland as the second-best prospect in the nation after generational talent Brock Bowers, and Loveland hasn’t even hit age 20 yet. Expect the Idaho native to continue creating big plays in the passing game and emerge as the top target at the position nationally.

What younger Michigan football TEs are impressing Colston Loveland?

Can’t wait to see which of them break out this year! #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — A big part of the spring practice isn’t just about building and molding your team schematically, it’s about development, getting those younger players more experience.

As Jim Harbaugh used to often say, you get better at football by playing football.

With AJ Barner heading to the NFL, Michigan football has two experienced tight ends from last year’s team returning in star TE Colston Loveland and half-back Max Bredeson. But there are a lot of names we haven’t really heard about until now. Players like Marlin Klein, Deakon Tonielli, Zack Marshall, and then the two freshmen who are early enrollees in Brady Prieskorn and Hogan Hansen.

For any of the above, seeing playing time at the college level will be a new experience. And thus far, Loveland likes what he’s seeing from the group in spring practice.

“I think Brady and Hogan — those are the fresh two freshmen — they’ve been doing a good job,” Loveland said. “I know how it is coming in early spring. There’s a lot on your plate. So obviously they’re battling through a lot of things right now but they’re doing a great job adapting so far.

“Zack Marshall is doing a great job. Marlin Klein’s stepping up Josh Beetham, Max Bredeson. I mean, everyone in the room is doing what they’re doing. That’s a huge shout-out to Coach Casula as well, and Coach Newsome doing a great job preparing us.

“But yeah, just I think it’s gonna be exciting to see how the rest of the spring plays out with those younger guys in camp. And I think they’re gonna do really good things.”

As far as who will be playing opposite Loveland (as the Wolverines like playing in two-tight end sets), with Barner gone, the hype is starting to build for fellow junior Marlin Klein to take over that role. Given that we haven’t seen much from the tight end (who moonlights as a punter), what does he bring to the table?

A lot, as far as Loveland sees. He might actually be the most athletically gifted tight end on the team, it appears.

“Marlin’s the fastest tight and probably the strongest tight and biggest tight end, so he’s got it all there,” Loveland said. “And he’s done a great job this spring to just start taking that next step and actually like starting playing time, real, real playing time and he just embraced it, he’s done a (expletive deleted) good job in practice.

“Obviously, AJ Barner was one really good in-line blocking tight end and not saying Marlin can’t do that at all — he definitely can. But it’s just gonna be building that throughout the spring in camp, but he’s definitely got it on his plate for sure.”

Fans will get a chance to see the tight ends in action on April 20 in the annual spring game, to be held at The Big House. It will be nationally televised on Fox at noon EDT.

Star Michigan football players not considering transfer portal

Don’t believe the rumors out there. These guys are locked in! #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Mostly perpetuated by rival fans who insist ‘the hammer is gonna drop’ on Michigan football ‘any day now,’ there have been persistent rumors that the Wolverines will lose a bulk of their star players to the transfer portal this offseason.

That does make sense. It’s been the law of the land this year, especially with teams with coaching changes. Alabama lost a ton of star players, as did Washington. Ohio State started to before adding a lot in the aftermath. However, Michigan lost just one major contributor with Keon Sabb choosing to play in Tuscaloosa over Ann Arbor next year. But otherwise, that’s been it. The spring portal window awaits, however, and those rival fans continue to be insistent that Michigan will lose the heart and soul of its team in 2024.

But those players themselves? They vehemently deny that that will be the case, insisting that they’re all about the team and the bonds they’ve built.

“We definitely talk about it. But, I want to be here and everybody wants to be here and everybody wants to be with each other,” junior defensive tackle Kenneth Grant said. “So I mean, that kind of outweighs everything. Just the type of brotherhood you just have for each other, it’s bigger than just anything. So just try to stick together as best as you can.”

Grant, fellow defensive tackle Mason Graham, tight end Colston Loveland, and cornerback Will Johnson are often the subject of these rumors, and while Johnson can see why some might make that decision — especially in the new world of name, image, and likeness — the legacy defensive back is happy where he’s at.

And he feels like the rest of the team is, too.

“I think it’s all about your situation that you’re in at your school, whatever the money is for you or your team, wherever,” Johnson said. “There’s a lot that goes into it. So I think it all depends on the situation. But I mean, I’m happy where I’m at, I’m happy with what they’ve been doing for us. So I think it’s been great here.”

Of course, with the coaching turnover as well as player turnover, that means that Michigan could have an uphill battle this upcoming season.

Last year, it was clear that the Wolverines would be a national title contender given how many players were returning and with only two assistant coaches moving on. But this offseason has been drastically different, which could cause some to second-guess their decisions to stay — especially on offense.

The maize and blue lost star players Blake Corum and J.J. McCarthy, as well as the entire starting offensive line. That means a lot of retooling. However, Colston Loveland doesn’t feel like that creates as many problems for he or his teammates in terms of seeing the potential.

“I think some people might think it’s tough, but it’s like — these are all my guys. And I know they got my full support, I got their full support,” Loveland said. “So I’m just trusting in — I know everyone’s gonna do what they need to do. And those quarterbacks know they got to step up and they know that and they’re gonna, they will do that.

“And so everyone’s everyone’s in a great mind right now. And yeah, no one’s worried about — I don’t think anyone’s worried about anything right now. We’re just taking it day by day just trying to get better.”

OK, speculation is speculation, but it’s a brave new world in college football. Teams tamper and the NCAA doesn’t seem interested in doing anything about it.

Other schools will do what they can to work to lure players away, even if they’re not in the transfer portal. There are rumors that money plays a factor, and that can certainly sway some, especially if they’re not making a lot of NIL money at their current school.

Still, these Wolverines are satisfied in Ann Arbor and it doesn’t appear they can be lured away.

“Stuff out there is going to be stuff out there — can’t really focus on that stuff,” Grant said. “You’ve gotta be present in the moment and just focus on the moment.”

“It’s easy to get tempted for sure,” Johnson said. “Especially when you hear all the numbers and things like that. But I mean, we’re so close, we got a group of guys that are so talented, it’s something that’s hard to pass up, too. So we’re really just about staying together, keeping it together and getting better together. So that’s just what our mindset is. And that’s where we are standing.”

One Michigan football standout stands atop PFF best-of list

He’s just scratching the surface of his potential. #GoBlue

Michigan football may be losing a lot on the offensive side of the ball heading into 2024, but that doesn’t mean its bereft of weapons.

Though quarterback J.J. McCarthy, running back Blake Corum, wide receivers Roman Wilson and Cornelius Johnson, and the entire starting offensive line are moving on, the Wolverines return some key playmakers — including running back Donovan Edwards and tight end Colston Loveland. The latter is so good, in fact, that he’s getting some recognition by PFF from a national perspective.

In a list created by PFF’s Max Chadwick, the top returning tight end in the country is none other than Loveland.

From Chadwick:

Loveland went from a promising freshman to one of the nation’s best tight ends as a sophomore. He finished as the fourth-most valuable FBS tight end this past season according to PFF’s wins above average metric and was fifth among them in receiving yards (649).

Loveland’s elite athleticism at 6-foot-5, 245 pounds makes him nearly unguardable. His 88.7% open-target rate in 2023 placed him in the 97th percentile for all tight ends in the country.

Last season, Loveland was the second-leading receiver on the team with 649 yards and four touchdowns. He split time with transfer AJ Barner, but really made big leaps and bounds entering his sophomore season. Though he received a lot of accolades regionally, Loveland was overshadowed nationally by Georgia tight end Brock Bowers. But with Bowers moving on, there’s a big opportunity for the junior Wolverines tight end from Idaho to make a stamp on the game.

LOOK: Star Michigan football national championship players visit Detroit Red Wings

This is probably the only time you’ll see these guys wearing red! #GoBlue

It’s good being No. 1. You’re celebrated by the people that matter and reviled by those who hate you and want to be you. When you’re home, you get a lot more of the former than the latter.

Such is the case for Michigan football and some of the players who plan to return to the 2024 iteration of the Wolverines after winning the national championship.

To the victors go the spoils, and the victors valiant are taking full advantage. Michigan natives Donovan Edwards and Will Johnson joined up with Colston Loveland and Rod Moore to visit the Detroit Red Wings game on Thursday evening and were highlighted by the team’s social media all decked out in Wings gear.

This might be the only time while in college you see any Michigan players wearing the color red!

The visit was arranged by Valiant Management and the NIL outfit included more, including video:

Edwards and Moore had been expected to depart for the NFL but instead chose to return for their senior seasons. If they had left, they likely wouldn’t have been around to be celebrated as such as they would have likely been in a different city training for the NFL combine. Of course, Johnson and Loveland have another year to play before they could depart, but it’s still good to see them making the most out of their post-championship season.

The Red Wings are hosting the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday evening.

Michigan football national championship sets high standard for future, younger players say

This is a band of brothers and they’ll continue to fight and win for each other. #GoBlue

HOUSTON — It wasn’t even an hour after Michigan football won its first college football national championship since 1997 and reality hadn’t quite sunk in yet. But the younger players did quickly understand, that as good as one championship is, another one last year would be sweet.

There’s a big group of Wolverines who will be moving onto the next level — linebacker Mike Barrett, running back Blake Corum, and defensive tackle Kris Jenkins chief among them. The aforementioned were all team captains, but the younger group — especially the sophomore class — knows they have a prime opportunity to keep things rolling.

Rivals will claim that this Michigan team was comprised mostly of sixth-year seniors, but so many of the players on this championship team will be returning. Yes, some, like quarterback J.J. McCarthy and running back Donovan Edwards have decisions to make. We still don’t know at this juncture whether or not Jim Harbaugh will return as the head coach. But with young stars such as tight end Colston Loveland and defensive tackles Kenneth Grant and Mason Graham returning for their junior season next year, there’s no reason why the maize and blue can’t be set up for another special season next year.

“Definitely means a lot, finally — sets a high standard, sets a very high standard for next year,” Loveland said. “Which is a good thing — we’re always trying to chase perfection. So I think it’s gonna be great. We’re gonna have to a couple of sophomores, gonna be juniors, gonna have to take a step up in a leadership role. And, I think we’re gonna do a really good job because we have great leaders to show us kind of how everything works. And just got to bring people along and bring the team along and keep that tight culture and good things will happen.”

Grant, the fellow sophomore, has a similar feeling to Loveland. But it’s not just about the leadership, about the experience. It’s also about the bond that the remaining Wolverines share and how that helps this team moving forward.

“We were national champs, and what’s greater than that?” Grant said. “But I mean, just from a coming back standpoint, I think we’re gonna stay together, definitely. I mean, like, like, (Loveland’s) family to me. He lives across the street from me. I go over his house every day. So like, that bond is unbreakable.”

Now the Wolverines are in the offseason, but the fun will keep going on until kickoff next season. The reigning national champions will host a parade in Ann Arbor on Saturday followed by a champions rally at Crisler Center. The aforementioned will both be televised on Big Ten Network.

Five takeaways from Michigan football win over MSU

It’s great to be a #Michigan Wolverine! #GoBlue

What a great night to be a Michigan Wolverine.

The maize and blue retained possession of the Paul Bunyan trophy, and will keep bragging rights for another season. And they did so with authority. The 42-0 blowout marks the largest margin of victory since 1947. Beatdowns like this do not happen often.

The win meant a lot to the team as well. With recent speculation over cheating allegations, the Wolverines have been in the spotlight for the wrong reasons as of late. A blowout like this should give the program a morale boost and flip headlines until more news breaks regarding the scandal.

Pustell’s pick: Michigan football MVP in win over Indiana

It was a breakout performance! #GoBlue

Last week Mason Graham won the QB-free award in his glorious return from injury. This week, we move to the offensive side of the ball and give our esteemed award of gridiron greatness to — Colston Loveland!

Saturday’s win was a true team performance — it was tough to pick out any singular effort. Corum had a pair of touchdowns but felt limited outside of the red zone. Jaylen Harrell had two sacks, and frankly has a good case for the trophy, but his plays came in slightly smaller moments.

Loveland twice provided huge plays for the Michigan offense. The first of which came on third-and-10 with time winding down in the first quarter. Without a completion on the day and facing a third-and-10, Michigan needed to move the chains. Indiana had the lead and looked strong through the first quarter, if Michigan wanted points, they would have to come soon.

The McCarthy to Loveland connection delivered. Loveland ran a 12-yard out, and McCarthy fired a laser into the tight window. Narrowly avoiding two collapsing defenders, Loveland slid to the turf to collect McCarthy’s throw. Despite the wet conditions, he held onto the ball and kept the drive alive. Loveland had another 14-yard pickup later in the possession that he ended by putting a defender in the dirt, but this catch put the offense in rhythm. They would score a touchdown that drive and never look back.

Loveland’s last catch of the day was the big fish. On the first drive of the third quarter, Michigan was once again faced with a third-and-10 on their own half the field. Indiana’s pressure got home, and McCarthy rolled out. Simultaneously, Loveland began to bend his route upfield. J.J. found him free in the secondary and put the ball on the money. Loveland scooped it out of the air and showcased his athleticism as he galloped through a trio of Indiana defenders for the score.

Loveland finished with three catches for 80 yards. Not an incredible stat line, but his best plays came in the biggest moments. He may end up as the best tight end of the Harbaugh era, and that’s saying something. Keep an eye out for the boy from Idaho, he’s got something going on.

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