Tag: Deakon Tonielli

2024 Season Countdown: #45 Deakon Tonielli

Name: Deakon Tonielli
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 238 lbs.
High school: Oswego (IL) Oswego
Position: Tight end
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #43
Last year: I ranked Tonielli #90 and said he would redshirt (LINK). He redshirted.
TTB Rating: 76

Tonielli was a 230 pound freshman last year, and at that size, you’re probably not going to play at Michigan as a true freshman. It was a pretty easy guess that he would redshirt, and he did. Of course, it helped that Michigan had Colston Loveland and Indiana transfer A.J. Barner, so the Wolverines had their one-two punch at tight end. They played other guys like Matt Hibner, Josh Beetham, and Zack Marshall, but those weren’t vital cogs in the offense.

Aside from Max Bredeson, who’s essentially a fullback, Michigan seems to have its one-two punch again (Loveland and Marlin Klein), but the guy who plays the role of Hibner could very well be Tonielli. He’s not generating the practice buzz that Klein is, but he is on that next tier – perhaps on the level that Hibner and Klein were generating at one point. The excitement about Hibner (one of the best overall athletes) and Klein (one of the fastest overall players) was about their physical skill sets, while Tonielli seems appreciated for his route running and soft hands. I don’t expect Klein to suddenly jump to the same amount of playing time as, say, Barner, who was #8 on the team with 620 snaps last year, so I think the #3 tight end will get a little more run than last year’s #3 guy (Beetham). I also think the #3 tight end will probably play more snaps in 2024 because I expect some closer games, so Michigan will have to play its top few guys a little more rather than giving garbage time snaps to a bunch of players.

Prediction: Backup tight end; 3 catches for 40 yards

2024 Spring Football Preview: Tight End

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.

2023 Season Countdown: #90 Deakon Tonielli

Name: Deakon Tonielli
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 230 lbs.
High school: Oswego (IL) Oswego
Position: Tight end
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Tonielli was a senior in high school (LINK). He caught 42 passes for 550 yards and 5 touchdowns.
TTB Rating: 76

One of the more forgotten members of the 2023 class, Tonielli ended up as a 247 Composite 4-star, the #20 tight end, and #413 overall. With a decent offer list that included Illinois, Purdue, Minnesota, Tennessee, and West Virginia, he took official visits to Champaign and West Lafayette before visiting Ann Arbor and committing shortly thereafter. Tonielli played some in-line tight end in high school, but he also spent a lot of time split out wide, where he was a mismatch for high school corners. Quicker than most 6’5″, 230-pounders and towering over most of the guys covering him, he seemed to be able to get open pretty consistently for a team that ran the ball a lot.

Strength and blocking will be a couple of the hurdles for Tonielli to overcome in year one. He needs to put on a good chunk of weight before he can get on the field much, and his blocking will need to improve. Usually, that points to a redshirt year as a tight end, and that’s a strong possibility for Tonielli. However, Michigan lost several tight ends to the NFL (Luke Schoonmaker, Joel Honigford), graduation (Carter Selzer) and transfer (Erick All, Louis Hansen) last season and only brought in Indiana’s A.J. Barner from the transfer portal. Zack Marshall enrolled early as a freshman and may have a better shot to play than Tonielli. But Michigan uses a lot of tight ends, so Tonielli may be able to slip on the field a few times while still preserving his redshirt, like Marlin Klein did in 2022 when he played in two games.

Prediction: Redshirt

2023 Recruiting Grades: Tight End

Previously: QUARTERBACK, RUNNING BACK

On Saturday I covered the quarterback position, followed by the running backs on Tuesday. Now for a look at the tight ends.

2023 DEPARTURES: 4 (Erick All, Louis Hansen, Joel Honigford, Luke Schoonmaker)

2023 NEEDS: 2

2023 COMMITMENTS: Carlsbad (CA) Carlsbad TE Zack Marshall, Oswego (IL) Oswego TE Deakon Tonielli

2023 OFFERS

• Kade Eldridge – Lynden (WA) Christian: USC
• Cooper Flanagan – Concord (CA) De La Salle: Notre Dame
• Jaden Hamm – Eudora (KS) Eudora: Kansas
• Nyckoles Harbor – Washington (DC) Archbishop Carroll: South Carolina
• Luke Hasz – Bixby (OK) Bixby: Arkansas
• Chico Holt – Houston (TX) Strake Jesuit: Northwestern
• Jaxon Howard – Minneapolis (MN) Robbinsdale Cooper: LSU
• Matthew Klopfenstein – Scottsdale (AZ) Horizon: Baylor
• Ty Lockwood – Thompson’s Station (MO) Independence: Alabama
• Walker Lyons – Folsom (CA) Folsom: USC
• Mac Markway – St. Louis (MO) DeSmet: LSU
• Brett Norfleet – St. Charles (MO) Francis Howell: Missouri
• Andrew Rappleyea – Milton (MA) Milton: Penn State
• Jelani Thurman – Fairburn (GA) Langston Hughes: Ohio State
• Riley Williams – Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy: Miami
• Preston Zinter – Cambridge (MA) Buckingham Browne & Nichols: Notre Dame

GRADE: C+

REASON FOR THE GRADE: Michigan needed to restock the tight end position in the class of 2023 after suffering heavy losses from the group following the 2022 season. Not only did Erick All (Iowa) and Louis Hansen (UConn) transfer, but second string tight end Luke Schoonmaker departed for the NFL, blocking tight end Joel Honigford ran out of eligibility, and a decent walk-on in Carter Selzer also graduated. All, Schoonmaker, and Honigford all played a ton. Tight end is a position where players typically need at least one season of strength and conditioning development before being relevant, so it’s important to keep a steady string of players coming.

Unfortunately, the Wolverines whiffed on most of their top targets, which is surprising considering how often tight ends are used in Michigan’s offense. Tonielli (4-star, #20 TE, #411 overall) was the tenth highest ranked guy at the position that Michigan offered, and Marshall would be the thirteenth highest ranked offeree if he were listed as a tight end (he’s an “athlete” according to the 247 Composite). Tonielli is really a big receiver being converted to tight end, and Marshall does not look like much of a difference maker when it comes to his athleticism.

Overall, Michigan supplemented its numbers decently at the position, but the talent level drops off. All and Schoonmaker are both NFL-caliber tight ends and Hansen was a well regarded 4-star recruit, though he hadn’t made an impact on the field during his first two seasons; Marshall is not on their level as an athlete, and Tonielli has good upside even if he doesn’t have the body and skills to play immediately. Michigan did take a strong swing at 5-star Nyckoles Harbor, but ultimately, NIL drove Harbor to South Carolina. Massachusetts product Andrew Rappleyea was committed to the Wolverines at one point, but he flipped to Penn State.

Visitors: Michigan vs. Michigan State

2023

Cole Cabana – RB – Dexter (MI) Dexter: Cabana is committed to Michigan (LINK).

D.J. Chester – OT – McDonough (GA) Eagle’s Landing Christian: Chester is a 6’5″, 300-pounder with offers from Auburn, LSU, Michigan, and Ole Miss, among others. He’s a 4-star, the #7 offensive tackle, and #55 overall. Auburn, LSU, and Ole Miss have already received official visits, and this is his fourth official of the process.

Spencer Fano – OT – Provo (UT) Timpview: Fano is a 6’5″, 270 lb. prospect with offers from BYU, Clemson, Michigan, Oregon, and Utah, among others. He’s a 4-star, the #8 offensive tackle, and #57 overall. He has visited Utah, Oregon, and Clemson, among others. This is an official visit.

Hit the jump for more.