Carter Selzer’s path to Michigan, outlook for 2022

A college football team runs even more than 85 deep, with a number of walk-ons always carrying a role no matter how good the team. The Michigan Wolverines are no exception, as players such as Carter Selzer come to Ann Arbor with the hope of growing into a true contributor.

He might not have made it all the way there, but the sixth-year tight end did eventually make it onto scholarship and is back for one final ride. Selzer is part of a strong position group, so his pathway forward is pretty limited, but he did end the 2021 season on a high note.

The story so far

There is not a ton of recruiting background on Selzer as he was not exactly a big name out of high school. Not surprisingly, he did not see the field as a true freshman and appeared in just four total games over his next two years. However, he did make the leap in 2020, playing in all six of Michigan’s games though not recording any stats (more on that in a second).

Selzer then really worked his way onto the depth chart last year, appearing in every single game and getting some tight end snaps in addition to special teams work. While most of his minutes came in garbage time, he did see the field against opponents like Ohio State, Iowa, and Georgia.

However, Selzer has to be most known for the toughest imaginable road to his first career reception. On multiple occasions, penalties (some very questionable at best) wiped away what would have been that milestone achievement, angering fans across the Big House. Finally, in the Big Ten Championship Game, the moment arrived:

Selzer would miss out on a potential first career touchdown on the next play after being held in the end zone, but at least he got the first catch monkey off his back before the end of the year.

Outlook moving forward

Erick All and Luke Schoonmaker are the 1-2 punch that will lead the tight end room this fall, and Colston Loveland looks to be the future of the position. Even though Jim Harbaugh loves to utilize the tight end role in the offense (often with multiple players on the field at once), it will be hard for Selzer to see too many significant snaps.

That being said, he is the perfect human victory cigar who fans will be eagerly rooting on again this season. As long as the referees can swallow their whistle, Selzer should have a chance at finally reaching the end zone, which is much deserved after putting in six solid years in Ann Arbor.