NOTE: Again, I apologize for the inconsistent posting schedule lately. Too many things going on right now. I’ve started preview posts the past two weeks and just haven’t been able to finish.
Bryce Underwood is a dude. The talent of Bryce Underwood is off the charts. Michigan has never seen anything like him on their roster. The closest is Drew Henson or Devin Gardner, but Underwood is a twitchier athlete than Henson and a better thrower than Gardner. Underwood completed 21/27 passes for 230 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions, and he looked to be in control the entire game. There were a few drops, but I don’t love taking away the drops and making pronouncements about what his completion percentage should be, because then you’re not comparing apples to apples when it comes to other quarterbacks or general expectations. It’s sufficient enough to describe his accuracy by saying he completed 21/27 passes.
55. TE Zack Marshall (RS So.): Marshall played in all thirteen games last season, mostly on special teams; he played in just four games on offense and didn’t record any stats other than 1 special teams tackle. I expect Michigan’s new offensive coordinator to incorporate a little bit more spread to the offense to give Bryce Underwood room to operate, so I think the tight end position will be de-emphasized some. Marshall will be backing up the likes of Marlin Klein and Max Bredeson, and it appears second-year player Hogan Hansen and former walk-on Jalen Hoffman have also passed him up. Last year’s rank: #47a.
54. LB Jaydon Hood (RS Sr.): To be perfectly honest, I was surprised when Jaydon Hood made it through the transfer portal window without trying to go somewhere else. That’s not an indictment of his talent, but a nod to the other talented linebackers Michigan has kept bringing in, including Ernest Hausmann and Jaishawn Barham as transfers, along with Cole Sullivan and Jimmy Rolder as recruits. Toss in Georgia transfer Troy Bowles and it seemed like Hood would have had good reason to play his final year elsewhere. But he played linebacker in eight games last year, making 9 tackles and 1 tackle for loss, so there’s still potential for him to play a meaningful backup role and on special teams. Last year’s rank: #41.
53. CB Jo’Ziah Edmond (So.): I had trouble finding where to rank Edmond, a 6’1″, 180 lb. second-year player whom the coaches were very high on when he arrived in 2024. He played in eight total games, including four at cornerback, and made 2 tackles on the year. On the one hand, burning a redshirt for a backup role usually indicates a significant role the next year. On the other hand, Michigan brought in the Metcalf brothers from Arkansas, moved Zeke Berry to cornerback full-time, and also landed an elite player in 2025 recruit Shamari Earls. Edmond could be anywhere from the third corner behind Berry and Jyaire Hill to the sixth corner behind those two and Earls, Jeremiah Lowe, and Tevis Metcalf. Last year’s rank: #78.
52. WR Kendrick Bell (RS So.): Bell was a high school quarterback who transitioned to wide receiver in 2023, and he did play more in 2024 than I expected, making 7 catches for 70 yards. The wide receiver spot is up in the air, but I didn’t see much last year that makes me excited for his role in 2025. I may be reading too much into this, but there was also a recent interview of Sherrone Moore where he was mentioning receivers and forgot to mention the 6’2″, 191 lb. Bell until asked specifically, so I think Bell’s role will be minor this year. Last year’s rank: #55.
51. WR C.J. Charleston (6th): Charleston played in ten games and started two last year for the Wolverines, making 1 catch for 22 yards. A leg injury late in the season ended his campaign, and he somewhat unexpectedly decided to return for 2025. I tend to think he returned with an eye on playing as much or more in 2025, but his role was largely as a blocker and a guy who could be put in motion. With transfers like Donaven McCulley and Anthony Simpson stepping in, I’m not sure there’s much opportunity for Charleston to take on a big role, but he’s experienced, the coaches seemed to like his toughness, and he can contribute on specials. Last year’s rank: #46.
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.
Name: Zack Marshall Height: 6’4″ Weight: 235 lbs. High school: Carlsbad (CA) Carlsbad Position: Tight end Class: Redshirt freshman Jersey number: #83 Last year: I ranked Marshall #83 and said he would be a backup tight end (LINK). He played in two games. TTB Rating: 58
Marshall was a little light as a freshman in 2023, but the coaching staff seemed to like him in the spring, so it seemed like they would try to find a way to get him on the field a little bit. He ended up playing in two games, which got him a bit of experience (6 snaps) while allowing him to keep his redshirt. The tight end position was already stocked very well with Colston Loveland, A.J. Barner, Matt Hibner, and others, so it wasn’t a spot where a true freshman was needed to contribute.
I hoped for Marshall to be a little heftier in 2024, but it doesn’t look like he added sufficient weight to be a major factor. Most guys who break through are at least in the 240s. So this might be a little high for Marshall in the countdown. He’s an H-back type at this size who will need to move around instead of putting his hand down on the line, and Michigan has better blockers (Max Bredeson) and more athletic players (Colston Loveland, Marlin Klein) who can fill those roles. Perhaps another year of adding weight will be needed before he sees a big uptick in playing time.
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.
