2025 Spring Football Preview: Tight End

Tag: Brady Prieskorn


1Mar 2025
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2025 Spring Football Preview: Tight End

Marlin Klein (image via 247 Sports)

RETURNING PLAYERS: Max Bredeson (RS Sr.), Marlin Klein (RS Jr.), Jalen Hoffman (RS So.), Zack Marshall (RS So.), Deakon Tonielli (RS So.), Hogan Hansen (So.), Brady Prieskorn (RS Fr.)
NEWCOMERS: Eli Owens (Fr.)
DEPARTURES: Colston Loveland (NFL draft)

OUTLOOK: Michigan had one of the best tight ends in college football in 2024 in the form of Colston Loveland, who should be a first round draft pick in April. Loveland was by far Michigan’s leading receiver (56 catches, 582 yards, 5 touchdowns) despite playing in a subpar passing game, and his numbers were significantly hurt by the fact that the quarterbacks couldn’t get him the ball when he was open downfield.

Marlin Klein caught the fifth most passes on the team in 2024 and filled in for Loveland. Klein isn’t nearly the fluid athlete that Loveland was and doesn’t have as natural of receiving abilities, but he’s a 6’6″, 247 lb. player with good straight-line speed and decent blocking ability. He caught 13 passes for 108 yards and 0 touchdowns a season ago.

The other huge returning contributor is 6’2″, 240 lb. Max Bredeson, who plays a fullback/H-back role. Bredeson caught just 3 passes for 24 yards, but he’s a devastating blocker who sets the physical tone on offense. New offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey may have to adjust some of his schemes to incorporate a heavy dose of Bredeson. I think Lindsey is pretty flexible as a coach, but he seems less inclined to use multiple tight ends as frequently as Jim Harbaugh-type offenses did.

Rising sophomore Hogan Hansen came out of nowhere to catch 7 passes for 78 yards and 1 touchdown in 2024 while playing in ten games. It’s not clear exactly what type of role he’ll play since his body (6’5″, 236) and skills haven’t really developed yet, but what is clear is that the coaching staff likes him and he will probably see a heavier role in 2025.

Walk-on Hoffman is Bredeson’s backup, and both Marshall and Tonielli are going into their third years without playing much. Prieskorn was hurt toward the end of the season, and my guess is he will not participate fully in spring ball. The lone freshman in the class is Eli Owens, who was listed at 6’1″ and 243 lbs. coming out of high school before enrolling early. He has mentioned how much he wants to fill the role of Bredeson down the road, so he may end up battling Hoffman for playing time this spring after enrolling early.

Overall, Michigan has a solid group of tight ends, but no real stars in the receiving game. Bredeson may prove to be the best of the bunch because of his blocking ability, but there’s still some intriguing potential with Klein’s athleticism, Hansen’s early flashes, etc. One to watch may be Tonielli, who got some buzz last spring but never got an opportunity on Saturdays. It should be a good overall unit, but the crew overall is a bit of an unknown.

17Aug 2024
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2024 Season Countdown: #47b Brady Prieskorn

Brady Prieskorn (image via SI)

Name: Brady Prieskorn
Height: 
6’6″
Weight: 
245 lbs.
High school: 
Rochester (MI) Adams
Position: 
Tight end
Class: 
Freshman
Jersey number: 
#86
Last year: 
Prieskorn was a senior in high school (LINK). He caught 33 passes for 665 yards and 8 touchdowns.
TTB Rating:
 87

Prieskorn was one of the prize recruits for Michigan in the class of 2024. An in-state prospect with offers from all over the country, he ended up ranked as the #130 overall prospect, the fourth-highest rated player in the class for the Wolverines. A good blocker and receiver, he lit up opponents through the air for over 20 yards per reception despite playing for a run-oriented team.

Now Prieskorn has a chance to play as a freshman for a team that values tight ends. Colston Loveland is a potential All-American and probably one of the better tight end prospects for the 2025 NFL draft, and there’s a lot of buzz about Marlin Klein, who hasn’t played much over his first two years on campus. But without any proven receivers like Cornelius Johnson and Roman Wilson, Michigan has to replace a high number of snaps that were taken up by A.J. Barner (who led the unit with 620), Josh Beetham (61), and Matt Hibner (26), not to mention whatever adjustments the Wolverines make to losing jumbo tight end Trente Jones. The good thing for Prieskorn is that he comes in with good enough size to step on the field immediately; at 6’6″ and 245 pounds, he’s roughly the same size as Loveland (6’5″, 245) and Klein (6’6″, 247), who are the two other biggest tight ends on the roster.

Prediction: Backup tight end

12Mar 2024
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2024 Spring Football Preview: Tight End

Colston Loveland

2023 Starters: Colston Loveland, A.J. Barner
Losses: Barner (NFL), Matt Hibner (transfer)
Returning players: Max Bredeson (RS Jr.), Loveland (Jr.), Marlin Klein (RS So.), Zack Marshall (RS Fr.), Deakon Tonielli (RS Fr.)
Newcomer: Brady Prieskorn (Fr.)
Projected starters: Klein, Loveland

The tight end position is the one that has perhaps separated Michigan from so many other teams over the past several years. Not only has Michigan had some quality players in the role, but the number, usage, and motion of the tight ends have become staples of Michigan’s offensive approach.

Probably the best tight end to come along during Jim Harbaugh’s tenure was Colston Loveland (45 catches, 649 yards, 4 touchdowns), a rising junior who has the athleticism of some of the elite tight ends playing in the NFL. He’s good enough that this is probably his last season in Ann Arbor before getting drafted in 2025.

One-time Indiana transfer A.J. Barner (22 catches, 249 yards, 1 touchdown) was an excellent blocker and underrated pass catcher, but he’s headed to the NFL in next month’s draft. It appears the next guy in line to play a bunch of snaps in Barner’s place is Marlin Klein, a 6’6″, 250-pounder who had just 1 catch for 8 yards last fall. He needed to put on some weight early in his career, but he seems to finally be reaching a good playing weight to handle some of the blocking duties.

It’s also important to mention quasi-starting tight end Max Bredeson, who plays more of a fullback position but nonetheless started four games last season. He caught 2 passes for 19 yards altogether, but he’s a bruising blocker. At 6’2″ and 240 lbs., he’s unlikely to move into a true tight end role and will probably carry on as a fullback.

Redshirt freshman Zack Marshall (6’4″, 232) played in two games last year while redshirting, and classmate Deakon Tonielli (6’5″, 251) has some decent size already but did not get any experience. The most likely returning player to step into Klein’s role as the #3 tight end seems to be Marshall, who should be a little bigger this spring (and fall).

One of the most intriguing names, though, is freshman early enrollee Brady Prieskorn (6’6″, 220), who was a 4-star and the #129 overall player in the class of 2024. He’s an all-around tight end somewhat in the mold of Loveland in that he’s a good athlete who’s not afraid of contact. His physical development is going to be key in determining how ready he is to step on the field this fall. But if he’s even borderline ready from a physical standpoint, we could see him begin to emerge this spring as someone who could jump over Marshall and Tonielli to become that #3 tight end.

20Nov 2023
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Visitors: Michigan vs. Ohio State

Burley (ID) Burley WR Gatlin Bair may head to Ann Arbor for the OSU game

2024 PROSPECTS

Gatlin Bair – WR – Burley (ID) Burley: Bair is a 6’2″, 195-pounder who is committed to Boise State, who just fired head coach Andy Avalos. Bair is headed on a two-year Mormon mission after high school, so he will basically end up being a 2026 prospect. Bair is also considering Michigan and Oregon, along with BSU. He’s a 4-star, the #10 WR, and #40 overall. This visit is a possibility, but not set in stone at this point.

Zaquan Patterson – S – Hollywood (FL) Chaminade-Madonna: Patterson is a 6’0″, 185 lb. prospect who is committed to Miami. He’s a teammate of 2025 Michigan commit Chris Ewald. Patterson is a 4-star, the #5 safety, and #70 overall.

2024 COMMITS

QB Jadyn Davis
RB Micah Ka’apana
RB Jordan Marshall
WR Channing Goodwin
WR I’Marion Stewart
TE Hogan Hansen
TE Brady Prieskorn
OL Blake Frazier
OL Jake Guarnera
OL Luke Hamilton
OL Ben Roebuck
OL Andrew Sprague
DE Ted Hammond
DT Owen Wafle
LB Jeremiah Beasley
LB Mason Curtis
LB Zach Ludwig
LB Cole Sullivan
CB Jeremiah Lowe

Hit the jump for more.

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4Nov 2023
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Visitors: Michigan vs. Purdue

Charlotte (NC) Providence Day QB Jadyn Davis

2024

Jadyn Davis – QB – Charlotte (NC) Providence Day: Davis is committed to Michigan (LINK).

Jo’Ziah Edmond – CB – Nappanee (IN) Northwood: Edmond is committed to Michigan.

Channing Goodwin – WR – Charlotte (NC) Providence Day: Goodwin is committed to Michigan (LINK).

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