With Colston Loveland off to the NFL, Michigan tight ends coach Steve Casula isn’t lowering the bar: “The standard of being a tight end right now at Michigan is Colston Loveland.”
The Michigan Wolverines may have lost star tight end Colston Loveland to the NFL, but if you ask position coach Steve Casula, the depth within the unit is still one of the team’s best heading into the 2025 season.
Appearing on this week’s In the Trenches podcast, Casula offered updates on each tight end at Michigan.
The room is led by senior Marlin Klein, the Wolverines’ most experienced pass-catcher at the position and a long-hyped breakout candidate. At 6-foot-6, 250 pounds, with a top speed of 21.75 mph (according to The Athletic’s 2024 freaks list), Klein has always had the measurables. But after catching just 13 passes for 108 yards last season, both he and his position coach know it’s time to deliver.
“He and I have talked about this. It needs to be,” Casula said. “We’ve talked a lot about his ability and his potential. And I’ve said this publicly, I’ll say it again — Michigan’s starting tight end needs to be an NFL player. That’s what our history is. That’s what the level of expectation is. And that’s what he’s being held to.”
Casula emphasized this isn’t just wishful thinking, it’s the standard for a program that’s seen as many as five tight ends drafted since 2019.
“He’s got to be that guy,” Casula said. “And he wants to be. He’s not running from that. He and I both are in agreement. It’s time for that to happen this fall.”
In the starting mix with Klein is sophomore Hogan Hansen, who enters camp with expectations as someone who should take a big step forward in 2025. He showed flashes in limited action last year, but now moves into a full-time role.
“I think when you play as a true freshman, sometimes it’s the pressure of, ‘I just need to know what I’m doing,” Casula said. “So now you’ve got to be upheld to the same standard as the guys you’re in the game with. He’s really gifted, about the right stuff, physical … but now, detail. Like playing with great detail. Not everything is, ‘Oh, the ball just found him.’ No, man. Go win every route.”
The battle for rotational snaps should be just as competitive. Graduate fullback/H-back Max Bredeson remains a dependable veteran presence if called upon, but several others are making serious pushes.
Zack Marshall, who played through a broken hand last year while contributing heavily on special teams, is one in particular who has impressed Casula with his toughness and progress.
“I do believe Zack is gonna play for us this year,” Casula said. “There’s no job too big, no job too small, and Zack is a really gifted, talented guy. So the expectation for him now as a third-year player who has played in games — I think he played 15 snaps against Ohio State — is to play at that starter level. That’s kinda the expectation for him, so he’s gotta go do it. But I really believe in Zack and am excited about where he’s at.”
Another name that has garnered a ton of hype is junior walk-on Jalen Hoffman, who had only six offensive snaps in 2024 but exploded in the spring game for 148 yards and a touchdown. Initially pegged as the next Bredeson, Hoffman has now been deployed as a traditional tight end and has continued to draw attention.
“Coach Moore told me, ‘This kid is really gifted,’” Casula said. “I think going into last season, we were really fortunate to have another guy that could play fullback. Most people only have one. Most people don’t have one. We’re really fortunate, now we’ve got three guys that are trained to do it.
“But going through exit meetings at the end of last season, talking about our roster collectively with coach Moore, and once )offensive coordinator) coach (Chip) Lindsey got here, we talked about Jalen. We kinda all agreed that we thought there was more to Jalen’s game, so we really went out of our way to let Jalen just play some more tight end this spring.”
Sophomore Brady Prieskorn and junior Deakon Tonielli are two more players Casula highlighted as being on the rise. Prieskorn missed all of his freshman season due to injury, but Casula praised the way he’s stayed locked in and ready to contribute.
“Brady — it’s not a matter of if he’s gonna play here, it’s a matter of when,” Casula said. “Been pleased with his development.”
As for Tonielli, who has yet to see game action, Casula credited the junior for making strides throughout the spring and positioning himself to compete for reps.
“Not everybody’s story is the same,” Casula said. “Deakon’s got the talent and the ability to do this. I was really pleased with the spring he had. This fall camp, he’s going to have the opportunity to make a move.”
Lastly, Casula provided an update on true freshman early enrollee Eli Owens, a three-star out of Tennessee who has already carved out a promising role as a fullback/H-back hybrid.
“He constantly gets compared to Max, or he constantly gets compared to Jalen,” Casula said. “All three of them are a little bit different and have their own unique skillset. Eli Owens is really good. He has the opportunity to become a really good player here, so I’m happy with him.”
With as many as five tight ends in the fold that have played snaps, Casula knows the room is crowded, and that makes the bar for contribution even higher.
“Playing tight end here — or playing here, period — is not easy to do,” Casula said. “The quickest way to make sure we have to play you is to contribute in the run game, to be physical, to move people. Carving out that exact role is what this group is focused on.”
While the group may look different heading into 2025, the standard for tight end play in Ann Arbor remains the same. Casula appears confident his room is up to the task.