ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Many question where Michigan football will get its production from via the wide receiving corps given the turnover, having lost Roman Wilson and Cornelius Johnson to the NFL. Though there are high hopes internally for the wideouts, those who question also forget that the Wolverines have arguably the best tight end in the country in Colston Loveland.
Loveland was second on the team last year with 45 catches for 649 yards and four touchdowns. And his position coach, Steve Casula, thinks there’s a chance that the junior from Idaho could end up leading everyone when it comes to receiving in 2024.
“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Casula said. “I think you look at Coach Campbell’s background and track record, in 2021, I think their tight end had 70. They had a tight end with over 70 receptions. He’s been exposed to getting the tight end of the ball. (Loveland) is able to do a lot of different things, both in the run and pass game.
“And we have a saying in the tight end room, the ball finds talent, technique, and energy, and Cole’s got all three. So, yeah, I mean, I think that could certainly happen. Cole’s been exceptional, is exceptional, desires to get better, but I think if you look at K.C.’s track record, he’s more than willing to keep throwing the ball through a tight end, for sure.”
One of Loveland’s hopes this offseason has been that he could improve his speed. Loveland claims that fellow third-year tight end Marlin Klein is the fastest in the room but if he, himself, manages to increase his speed, that could make him all the more dangerous.
Casula has seen improvements in his game on that front, noting that there’s no wasted movement in his stride and in his routes. Now that he’s seeing more of Loveland’s true ability in fall camp, the first-year tight ends coach is impressed.
“Cole has moved around great. And I don’t know if he went and ran a 40-yard dash or a 100-meter-yard dash, what the time would be. But when the ball snapped, he’s got such great functional movement skills,” Casula said. “He wastes no movement. And he is so thoughtful about his plan of attack in both the run and pass game that he just does things like when you have a plan before the ball snapped and you have an understanding, high-level understanding of football and the system, you’re able to do things a little bit faster.
“But, yeah, he’s playing faster than what I was exposed to in the spring. He’s playing really well. And that starts with him and starts with just kind of who we are as an offense. But, yeah, he’s playing fast right now. So I don’t know that he would go and be – I don’t know how fast he is, in terms of a measurement. But when the ball snapped, he damn sure looks fast. So he’s playing really fast, playing really well.”
Michigan opens the season on August 31 against Fresno State at The Big House.