Predicting Michigan’s tight end depth chart

Michigan’s very deep at the tight end position this season. They have tight ends who can block, tight ends with speed, they have a unit that has various skill sets.

The group is undoubtedly top-heavy, with Erick All and Luke Schoonmaker among the most promising tight ends in college football. Head coach Jim Harbaugh and Grant Newsome both expect All and Schoonmaker to battle it out for who is the best tight end in the nation. Harbaugh has always found ways to use a tight end in his offense and this year will be no exception — the group will contribute aplenty as receivers, and with pass and run blocking.

Newsome recently indicated he’s confident in his tight ends when All and Schoonmaker are on the field and when other players are rotated in.

“It’s gonna depend game-to-game, on how the game’s flowing, who’s hot. But it’s a good problem to have. We feel like we’re not just only two deep but really deep at the tight end room. I feel like we have five or six guys right now that could go win us the game at the tight end position.”

Here’s a look at Michigan’s tight end depth chart.

Erick All

By all accounts, no pun intended, All has been impressing his teammates and coaches all off-season long. He’s added lots of muscle weight and is up to 255 pounds and also has speed to his game.

All had 38 receptions for 437 yards and two touchdowns last season, including a memorable game-sealing score on the road versus Penn State. All is a leader on the team, one of the strongest players on the team, and could have a long and great NFL career. All could have a huge season.

“First off, he’s a truly dynamic athlete. You guys saw the Penn State game last year. To do that, catch that ball and outrun their secondary on a bum ankle,” Newsome said this spring. “He was two weeks off a high-ankle sprain when he was doing that. He’s a really, really special athlete dynamically.”

Luke Schoonmaker

Schoonmaker has good speed in his own right and a foot race between he and All would be close. Schoonmaker set a few career highs last season with 17 receptions for 165 yards and three touchdowns.

“I think there’s been a standard set for both me and Erick with I guess you could say the spotlight. That’s been presented to us, but I think there’s been that standard that’s been set,” Schoonmaker said. “Now we know how to practice, how to play, and how to hold each other accountable with our playing.”

Schoonmaker will see the field at a high clip in 2022 and he’ll have a good shot of putting up bigger numbers than 2021. Schoonmaker has steady hands, good vertical speed, and has the ability to get open on shallow crossers.

The rest

• Colston Loveland: A true freshman who has already been impressing as an early-enrollee, Loveland could finish the season with the third most receptions. Loveland was the Gatorade Idaho Player of the Year last year (62 receptions, 968 yards, 14 touchdowns, rushed for 352 yards with four scores, and had 66 tackles (18 for loss), 5.5 sacks, and two interceptions). If Loveland continues to develop physically, he could be one of the best tight ends of the Jim Harbaugh era.
• Joel Honigford: 2021 was his first season as a full-time tight end and had one reception last year. Honigford was used primarily as an extra blocker. A former three-star prospect.
• Matthew Hibner: Used as a blocking tight end last year, didn’t record a reception. A former three-star prospect.
• Carter Selzer: Selzer has been a special teams contributor throughout his career. The six-foot-six sixth-year senior could make a play or two in the red-zone this season.
• Louis Hansen: Hansen, a former four-star prospect, appeared in one game for Michigan last season. His 2020 high school season was canceled but excelled in 2019 as a junior with 39 receptions for 548 yards and eight touchdowns.
• Marlin Klein: A freshman originally from Cologne, Germany, had 22 receptions for three touchdowns as a senior in high school. The 6-foot-6, 245-pound Klein may not get playing time right away, but he’ll be one to keep an eye on in years to come.
• Max Bredeson: Walk-on, brother of former Michigan lineman Ben Bredeson, received playing time in Michigan’s spring game and has received praise from Jim Harbaugh and teammates. Grant Newsome says Bredeson will play a lot of games for Michigan.