Tag: Colston Loveland

2023 Season Countdown: #16a Colston Loveland

Name: Colston Loveland
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 245 lbs.
High school: Gooding (ID) Gooding
Position: Tight end
Class: Sophomore
Jersey number: #18
Last year: I ranked Loveland #77 and said he would redshirt (LINK). He caught 16 passes for 245 yards and 2 touchdowns while starting five games.
TTB Rating: 85

Well, I couldn’t have been more wrong about Loveland when I put him in the 2022 countdown. I put him at #77 and said he would redshirt, considering the presence of Erick All, Luke Schoonmaker, and others. Of course, it helped him that All got hurt early in the season, but Loveland ended up being the most exciting of all of them, catching a touchdown pass against Ohio State and making a highlight reel, leaping catch against Purdue in the Big Ten championship game.

Loveland’s athleticism shined through so much that I’ve heard some Michigan podcasts and such talking about him as an All-American, which I think is a stretch since Georgia’s Brock Bowers is still around. But Loveland is definitely an exciting player, and he has packed on 15 pounds since last season. He can run and he can go up and high-point the ball like a receiver. I would venture to say that he’s probably Michigan’s most athletic tight end since Devin Funchess, and Funchess went on to play wide receiver in the NFL.

Some might argue that Loveland could be ranked higher, but this is a very talented group – both ahead of him and in the tight end room. Michigan stole Indiana captain and starter A.J. Barner, and they have a couple excellent athletes in Matt Hibner and Marlin Klein waiting in the wings, and there are some walk-ons pushing for time even among all that talent. Still, I expect Loveland to have a very good fall and perhaps be a second- or third-team All-Big Ten player.

Prediction: Starting tight end; 35 catches for 435 yards and 5 touchdowns

Michigan 45, Ohio State 23

I was wrong. I predicted a 35-24 Ohio State victory, and it went almost exactly the opposite way. I didn’t expect Michigan’s offense to be able to keep up with Ohio State’s, especially if Blake Corum was unable to play. Oops.

Pound the rock. Ohio State held up very well against the run for much of the game. In the first half, Michigan rushed for just 20 total yards, including just 6 yards on 2 carries for Blake Corum. They also used C.J. Stokes on 2 carries for just 5 yards. The second half turned into a completely different story. An injured Donovan Edwards, wearing a cast on his right hand, took over the game, carrying the ball in his non-dominant hand. He finished with 22 carries for 216 yards and 2 touchdowns. One was a 75-yarder where he outraced safety Lathan Ransom, and the other was a patient attempt where he waited for a crease and then gashed the Buckeyes for 85 yards. Even though Michigan wasn’t successful in the first half, they seemed to wear down Ohio State’s front.

Hit the jump for more.

2022 Season Countdown: #77 Colston Loveland

Name: Colston Loveland
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 230 lbs.
High school: Gooding (ID) Gooding
Position: Tight end
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: #18
Last year: Loveland was a senior in high school (LINK). He caught 62 passes for 968 yards and 14 touchdowns; rushed 33 times for 352 yards and 4 touchdowns; and made 66 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, and 2 touchdowns.
TTB Rating: 65 85

Loveland came a little bit out of nowhere during the 2022 recruiting cycle to suddenly be at the forefront of Michigan’s tight end recruiting situation. He was thin as a junior and did not have great film, but reports out of Idaho were that he had hit a growth spurt and improved as an athlete. And he did. He got bigger and better. Now listed at 6’5″ and 230 pounds, he had good senior film for a tight end and was a real focal point of Gooding’s team, playing wide receiver, tight end, quarterback, outside linebacker, some safety, etc. A tight end who can score 18 touchdowns in a season is tough to come by.

While I upped Loveland’s TTB Rating from a 65 to an 85, I don’t think the early enrollee is going to play much of a factor on the field this season. Michigan returns three senior tight ends who all played a big role last year, and that doesn’t even include walk-on Carter Selzer, who has received increased reps the past two years. Michigan got 57 catches from tight ends next year, and all that production returns in 2022. It would probably be best if Loveland can redshirt this season since there’s not much room for him to contribute.

Prediction: Redshirt

How Does the 2022 Class Match Up with Michigan’s All-Time Recruits?

Thanks to Ashley, Eric, Joe, and Stephen for the recent Paypal donations.

As much as we like to get excited about every single Michigan recruit, it’s important to keep perspective and realize that not every one of these players will be destined for stardom. This exercise can give us a range of what to expect from some of these players, even though star rankings can be very wrong.

Will Johnson – CB – Grosse Pointe (MI) South
2022 ranking: #14
Historical ranking: tied for #9 all-time at Michigan
Tied with: S Daxton Hill (2019) and DE LaMarr Woodley (2003)
Closest positional comparisons: Jabrill Peppers (#3 in 2014) and Donovan Warren (#27 in 2007)

Derrick Moore – DE – Baltimore (MD) St. Francis
2022 ranking: #49
Historical ranking: tied for #37 all-time at Michigan
Tied with: OG Kyle Kalis (2012) and RB Ty Isaac (2013)
Closest positional comparisons: Pierre Woods (#43 in 2001) and Luiji Vilain (#56 in 2017)

Keon Sabb – S – Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy
2022 ranking: #84
Historical ranking: #64 all-time at Michigan
Flanked by: OT Cory Zirbel (#83 in 2005) and #87 Kyle Bosch (2013)
Closest positional comparisons: Michael Williams (#72 in 2007) and Demar Dorsey (#87 in 2010)

Hit the jump for more.

Visitors: Michigan vs. Ohio State

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Here is an early list of players who are planning to head to Ann Arbor for The Game.

2022

Zeke Berry – S – Concord (CA) De La Salle: Berry is a 6’0″, 185-pounder with offers from Michigan, Oregon, and UCLA; he decommitted from Arizona. He’s a 4-star, the #19 safety, and #227 overall. This is an official visit.

Ethan Burke – DE – Austin (TX) Westlake: Burke is a 6’7″, 225 lb. prospect with offers from Baylor, Kansas State, Michigan, and Texas Tech, among others. He’s a 247 Sports 3-star and the #40 edge player. This is an official visit.

Joshua Conerly – OT – Seattle (WA) Rainier Beach: Conerly is a 6’5″, 275-pounder with offers from Michigan, Oregon, and USC, among others. He’s a 5-star, the #3 offensive tackle, and #19 overall. He already took an official visit to Michigan – and an unofficial – so this will be his third trip to Ann Arbor. UPDATE: Conerly is no longer planning to visit.

Kiyaunta Goodwin – OT – Charlestown (IN) Charlestown: Goodwin is a 6’8″, 340 lb. prospect who’s committed to Kentucky. He also has offers from Alabama and Michigan, among others. He’s a 5-star, the #5 offensive tackle, and #30 overall.

Kenneth Grant – DT – Merrillville (IN) Merrillville: Grant is committed to Michigan.

Kevonte Henry – LB – Lawndale (CA) Leuzinger: Henry is committed to Michigan (LINK).

Domani Jackson – CB – Santa Ana (CA) Mater Dei: Jackson is a 6’1″, 185 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama and Michigan, along with a bunch of others. He also just decommitted from USC last week. He’s a 5-star, the #2 cornerback, and #6 overall. He has developed a good relationship with Michigan commit Will Johnson (see below), who has been a big positive in Jackson’s recruitment. Jackson took an official visit back in September, so this is an unofficial.

Hit the jump for more.